- Date
- May 29, 1993, 11:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5388TPiper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930529018999A
- Case key
- 28395
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
A failure of the pilot to adequately compensate for the wind conditions and subsequent loss of directional control during the landing roll. A factor in the accident was a lack of total experience in the aircraft type.
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
The pilot was landing at an airport situated on a high mesa. The airport directory notes that turbulence may be expereinced near the airport. During the landing roll, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane which departed the runway and struck a ditch. The pilot had accumulated 28 hours of expereince in the twin engine airplane.
Factual narrative
On May 29, 1993, about 1155 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA- 34-200, N5388T, crashed during landing at Sedona, Arizona. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross country flight to Sedona when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Air Desert Pacific Corp., La Verne, California, received substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and 5 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from La Verne, California, at 0922 hours.
The pilot reported that upon arrival in the Sedona area, he received a landing advisory on the airport unicom radio frequency. The wind conditions were reported as 180 degrees at 18 knots, with gusts to 20 knots. He indicated that after touch down on runway 21, a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer to the right. The airplane departed the runway, crossed a parallel taxiway and then struck a ditch. The airplane received damage to the left main landing gear, left wing, and fuselage.
The pilot holds a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The most recent third class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on June 8, 1992, and contained the limitation that correcting lenses be worn while exercising the privileges of his airman certificate.
According to the pilot/operator report submitted by the pilot, his total aeronautical experience consists of about 279 hours, of which 28 hours were accrued in the accident airplane. According to information provided by the pilot, a multiengine rating was issued to the pilot on April 13, 1993. In the preceding 90 and 30 days prior to the accident, the report lists a total of 22 and 4 hours respectively flown.
The Sedona airport is situated on a 500 foot mesa that rises above the surrounding terrain. It is equipped with a single hard surfaced runway on a 030/210 degree magnetic orientation. Runway 21 is 5,131 feet long by 75 feet wide. The published altitude of the airport is 4,827 feet mean sea level. According to airport/facility directory, turbulence may be experienced in the vicinity of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5388T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7250256
- Airframe hours
- 4,500
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1EG, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Desert Pacific, doing business as None
- Registered owner
- Lapin, Ari D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 21, 1993 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- POC · La Verne, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SEZ · Sedona, runway 21, 5,131 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 279 total · 23 in this make and model · 156 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 18 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.