Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Maricopa, Arizona 85239
Friday, May 31, 1991 18:40 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND A PASSENGER DEPARTED IN A TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE ON A LOCAL FLIGHT AND WERE REPORTED OVERDUE. WITNESSES INDICATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED THE FOLLOWING DAY ABOUT 22 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS UNAIRWORTHY. THE LEFT ENGINE PRIMER WAS NOT LOCKED AND AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE WAS UTILIZED IN THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY SECURED THE ENGINES AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLERS. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND WITH LITTLE FORWARD SPEED, AT A HIGH VERTICAL DESCENT RATE, IN A NOSE DOWN AND NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT DID NOT POSSESS A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OR A MULTIENGINE RATING. THE PILOT'S RECENCY OF EXPERIENCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING REVEALED THAT THE PILOT AND PASSENGER HAD ALCOHOL PRESENT IN THEIR BLOOD.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN THE OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES AND THE INADVERTENT STALL DURING A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT/OWNERS LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRPLANE AND THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT BY ALCOHOL WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/31/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1840 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | MARICOPA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85239 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1545 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 324 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GEU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1066 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 20 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1493 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45328 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1237P |
| NTSB Number | LAX91FA232 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-258 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 7 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 4526 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBERT TICHY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6660 POPLAR |
| Aircraft Owner City | MARICOPA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85239 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBERT TICHY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 6660 POPLAR |
| Operator City | MARICOPA |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85239 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GEU |
| Departure City | GLENDALE |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |