- Date
- July 10, 1991, 15:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Temple Bar, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8142PPiper PA24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910710026989A
- Case key
- 27284
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during an attempted return to runway maneuver and the entry into an inadvertent stall/spin at low altitude. The exact nature of the emergency problem encountered by the pilot is undetermined.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A pilot witness on the airport reported that the accident aircraft taxied out to runway 18 and departed. The witness said the aircraft's takeoff ground roll seemed normal and the aircraft rotated at about the two thirds point on the runway. He said the initial climb appeared to be normal and he diverted his attention to completing the pre-takeoff checks on his aircraft. He stated that he heard the pilot transmit on the radio that 'I have a big problem.' The witness said he looked up and saw the aircraft at about 200 feet AGL in the climb then it seemed to stall with a sudden rolling break to the left, enter a left hand spin and impact the ground in a steep nose down attitude. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified during the examination of the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8142P
- Reported as
- Piper PA24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3395
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jack G. Preuss
- Registered owner
- Jack G. Preuss
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- IGM · Kingman, AZ
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 480 total · 195 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.