Piper PA-28-151 N42487

Summary

On 9 April 2007 at about 13:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-151 registered N42487 was involved in an accident near Cibecue, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 April 2007 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cibecue, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Cibecue Airport (Z95)

Coordinates

34.0033, -110.4442

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-151

Registration

N42487

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

SEA07LA097

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain proper control of the airplane during an off airport landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's psychological condition, impairment due to overdose of prescription medication, inadequate in-flight planning and mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility two days prior to the accident flight following an overdose of clonazepam, a prescription anti-anxiety medication. He left the facility the day prior to the flight, and took off just after midnight on the day of the accident. The pilot stated that thirty to forty minutes into the night cross-country flight, he realized that he had forgotten his suitcase and returned to the departure airport. He further stated that after retrieving the luggage, he continued the flight to his original intended destination, and about two hours into the flight, elected to make an unscheduled landing due to a low fuel situation. The pilot indicated that, while maneuvering to the airport, he encountered rising terrain that he felt the airplane would not climb over, due to performance constraints of the airplane, and elected to land off airport. The airplane collided with trees and terrain during the landing, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot received minor injures. Post-accident toxicology testing indicated recent use of two different antidepressants, recent use of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and use of clonazepam at a level consistent with overdose and in the range typically causing drowsiness and difficulty maintaining balance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.