Piper PA-32R-301T N4575L

Summary

On 30 August 1984 at about 06:00 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T registered N4575L, operated by Flight Trails, was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 August 1984 at 06:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.1700, -110.7900

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301T

Registration

N4575L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Flight Trails

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carlsbad → Houston

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX84FA504

4 people died.

controlled flight into terrain that resulted from the pilot's failure to ensure a safe VFR altitude. The dark night, which restricted the pilot's view of terrain, was a factor in this accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Weather at the time of the accident consisted of a high pressure system over the desert southwest with unrestricted visibility. No convective activity had been detected within several hours in the vicinity of the accident site. The sectional chart indicates the minimum altitude for aircraft flying over Saguaro National Park is ground elevation plus 2,000 feet. The chart also depicts Rincon Peak, the highest point in the park, as having an elevation of 8,482 feet msl. The eastbound aircraft collided with steeply rising terrain within the park boundary less than a mile north of Rincon Peak at the 7,500 foot level. There was no moon illumination at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.