Piper PA-28-151 accident near Marana, Arizona, April 19, 2024
On April 19, 2024 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1975 Piper PA-28-151, registered N4399X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Marana, Arizona (Coolidge Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to a failure of the No. 4 cylinder piston boss.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2024 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · Coolidge Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151, built 1975 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N4399X · registry record · serial 28-7615006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a cross-country flight when the engine began to run rough and make grinding noises. The engine then stopped producing power, and the propeller would not windmill. The instructor attempted to restart the engine and performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed significant wear to the camshaft lobes, as well as evidence of catastrophic failure of the No. 4 piston assembly. The damage appeared to originate from the area of the piston pin and boss; however, the failure features were obliterated during the event, preventing an accurate assessment of its origin. The engine was most recently overhauled about 21 years and 2,190 flight hours before the accident. The manufacturer’s recommended time between overhaul (TBO) interval was 2,200 flight hours or 12 years, whichever occurs first.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Malfunction
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 367.4 hours in all; 77.1 in this make and model; 267.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 18, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27.9 hours in all; 19.6 in this make and model; 27.9 in the last 90 days; 8.7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,213 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 9, 2024; 60.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 10,311 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P08 Coolidge AZ at 7:10 pm
- Destination: KAVQ Marana AZ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 12:10 pm from P08, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMZJ 192035Z AUTO 24009G15KT 220V280 10SM -RA CLR 33/M08 A2984 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on April 1, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Exam | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 37 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Lycoming Service Instruction Tbo | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Certification of Party Representative (Lycoming) | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.