- Date
- July 19, 1992, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3406ZPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920719025959A
- Case key
- 27695
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 poorly planned approach and failure to attain the proper descent rate. The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the rough terrain conditions in the area of the forced landing were factors in the accident.
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
After spending the night in Tucson, Arizona, and refueling the aircraft to its 36 gallon capacity, the pilot took off on his final leg home. He was at an altitude of 6000 feet MSL approximately 30 minutes after takeoff when the engine failed. He attempted to make a forced landing at pinal airpark, Arizona, located approximately 31 miles north-northwest of Tucson, but collided with the rough terrain about 350 yards short of runway. According to FAA inspectors no obvious failures or malfunctions in the engine were noted during their on scene investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3406Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7318
- Airframe hours
- 2,231
- Engine
- Lycoming O-350-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nerguizian, Berj
- Registered owner
- Nerguizian, Berj
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 1992 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- TUS
- Destination
- UDD · Bermuda Dunes, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 12 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Observed at
- TUS, 31 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.