Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Winslow, Arizona, March 4, 2006
On March 4, 2006 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N8322C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winslow, Arizona (Winslow-Lindbergh Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The presence of a foreign material/substance in the fuel system, which partially blocked the fuel flow divider, and resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff-initial climb, and an emergency landing. A factor associated with the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2006 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Winslow, Arizona · Winslow-Lindbergh Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N8322C · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7680093
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot, with one passenger, was on a cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. Just after takeoff, when the airplane was about 200 feet above the ground, the engine began to run rough and lose power. Emergency procedures did not restore power, and the airplane collided with a barbwire fence during an off-airport forced landing, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane was equipped with a recently installed factory-remanufactured Textron Lycoming IO-540 engine. Postaccident investigation revealed a grayish, soft, rubbery material partially blocking the ports of the fuel flow divider's metering pin. There was no debris discovered in the interior of the fuel injector servo, or in the fuel injector's inlet screen. According to a representative of Textron Lycoming, fuel system components on factory-remanufactured engines are shipped separately. It is the responsibility of the receiving maintenance technician to install the fuel system components on the engine, and ensure that no debris enters the fuel line or fuel flow divider during the installation process. A Safety Board senior metallurgist who examined the gray foreign material was unable to identify the source, but reported it consisted of agglomerations of smaller particles, consistent with a Teflon-like material. The Safety Board metallurgist also reported that the rubbery material was not consistent with fuel supply line material, and no additional debris was found inside the fuel line or within the fuel injector servo.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,839 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 2,464 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,679 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2006; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIA5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KINW Winslow AZ at 9:45 pm
- Destination: KPSP Palm Springs CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 22, 7,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8322C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.