Piper PA24-250 N8142P

Summary

On 10 July 1991 at about 22:15 local time, a Piper PA24-250 registered N8142P, operated by Jack G. Preuss, was involved in an accident near Temple Bar, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 1991 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Temple Bar, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

36.0200, -114.2906

Aircraft

Piper PA24-250

Registration

N8142P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jack G. Preuss

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Kingman

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91LA304

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING AN ATTEMPTED RETURN TO RUNWAY MANEUVER AND THE ENTRY INTO AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE EXACT NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT IS UNDETERMINED.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A PILOT WITNESS ON THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 18 AND DEPARTED. THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT'S TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL SEEMED NORMAL AND THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED AT ABOUT THE TWO THIRDS POINT ON THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THE INITIAL CLIMB APPEARED TO BE NORMAL AND HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO COMPLETING THE PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS ON HIS AIRCRAFT. HE STATED THAT HE HEARD THE PILOT TRANSMIT ON THE RADIO THAT 'I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM.' THE WITNESS SAID HE LOOKED UP AND SAW THE AIRCRAFT AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL IN THE CLIMB THEN IT SEEMED TO STALL WITH A SUDDEN ROLLING BREAK TO THE LEFT, ENTER A LEFT HAND SPIN AND IMPACT THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WERE IDENTIFIED DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.