Piper PA-28-181 N4402N

Summary

On 17 November 2025 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4402N, operated by CAE Aviation Academy Phoenix LLC, was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

17 November 2025 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mesa, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Falcon Fld (FFZ)

Coordinates

33.4480, -111.7387

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4402N

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

CAE Aviation Academy Phoenix LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA045

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On November 17, 2025, about 0830 mountain standard time, a Piper PA 28-181, N4402N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that after a training flight they had returned to Falcon Field Airport (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona, where they then conducted 3 touch and go landings and a go-around. They continued their training in the traffic pattern and were in an extended downwind for runway 4L. After entering the base leg of the traffic pattern and as they were preparing for the approach, an uncommanded reduction of power occurred. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and advanced the mixture lever and moved the throttle lever; however, he was unable to restore engine power. The flight instructor soon realized they would not make the runway and assessed the limited landing options. He subsequently made a forced landing on a gravel road that paralleled a water canal. After landing, about 100 yards into the landing roll, the right wing collided with a cinder block fence and the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, left stabilizer and both wings. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.