Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Phoenix, Arizona 85027
Thursday, January 28, 2010 8:37 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after takeoff for the student pilot’s second solo cross-country flight, she was advised by the air traffic controller to make a departure on the right downwind leg of the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg, the pilot requested to return to the airport and make a full-stop landing. The controller instructed the pilot to continue the right-hand pattern and to follow the traffic in front of her. The controller then inquired if she needed assistance, to which she responded “because of ceiling.” The controller again advised her to follow the traffic in front of her, and she responded that she had it in sight. The controller then cleared her to land, which she acknowledged. The controller subsequently asked the pilot if she had the runway in sight, after which a short inaudible transmission was received. A review of the radar data indicated that the pilot was following a normal right-hand traffic pattern until the base leg, where she overflew the final approach for the runway. Witnesses in the area reported seeing the airplane flying very low before hearing a loud bang. The airplane impacted a low wire span about 30 feet above ground level and continued another 400 feet before hitting another set of wires and crashing into a field. The weather reported in the area at the time by witnesses and first responders was low clouds and fog. It is likely that the pilot either encountered the low clouds or was attempting to remain below the clouds when the collision with the wires occurred. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Visual flight rules (VFR) conditions existed over most of western Arizona; however, the accident site bordered the area between marginal VFR and VFR conditions. The weather observation at the time of the accident included a 1,000-foot broken cloud layer with 5 miles of visibility.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot’s decision to take off in marginal visual flight rules conditions, which resulted in an encounter with low clouds, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires while maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/28/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 837 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Phoenix |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85027 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 334125N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1120657W |
| Event Location Airport | Phoenix Deer Valley Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DVT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1478 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 836 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DVT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1478 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30048 |
| NTSB Notification Source | WP Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 5 2012 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N293PA |
| NTSB Number | WPR10FA120 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2843503 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 20 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 36 |
| Airframe Hours | 9127 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BIRD ACQUISITION LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WELLESLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02481-2102 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Transpac Aviation Academy |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Phoenix |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85027 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | DVT |
| Departure City | Phoenix |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 831 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | E25 |
| Destination City | Wickenburg |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 5 2012 1:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |