Piper PA 28 accident near Gila Bend, Arizona, March 12, 2017
On March 12, 2017 at about 2:00 am local time, a 2002 Piper PA 28, registered N288PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Gila Bend, Arizona (Gila Bend Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to review the notices to airmen related to the airport, which resulted in his landing on a closed runway and the airplane striking runway closed markers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2017 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Gila Bend, Arizona · Gila Bend Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28 181, built 2002 · all PA 28s on the register
- Registration
- N288PA · registry record · serial 2843502
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he and two student pilots were on a night, visual flight rules, instructional flight. The instructor tried to activate the pilot-controlled lighting at the destination airport, but he believed that it was inoperative. He reported that he could see the wind sock on the airfield but that he did not see the "X" near the runway numbers and performed a touch and go. During rotation the instructor reported that, "I heard a red cone make impact with the nose gear section." He had to apply continuous forward pressure to the yoke because the nose continued to pitch up with the trim set to the full-down position. He asserted that the flight characteristics were "acceptable" and continued the flight about 47 nautical miles to their home airport. Upon arrival, the instructor alerted the tower that he had a stabilator malfunction and landed the airplane with zero flaps. The instructor reported that he did not check the notices to airmen (NOTAM). The airplane sustained substantial damage to the stabilator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to Federal Aviation Administration NOTAM 03/058, the airport runways were closed at the time of the accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on equipment
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 390 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 320 as pilot in command; 170 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Certificate: student
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,919 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 9, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 11,768 hours total
- Operator: Bird Acquisition LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ
- Destination: E63 Gila Bend AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 22, 5,200 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from KBXK, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
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 N288PA 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.