Piper PA28 accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, April 17, 2019
On April 17, 2019 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2001 Piper PA28, registered N425PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Wickenburg, Arizona (Wickenburg Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control during landing and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the subsequent aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2019 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wickenburg, Arizona · Wickenburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181, built 2001 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N425PA · registry record · serial 2843474
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, on his second approach, he encountered "bumpy" air, and the airplane ballooned. He corrected by adding power, leveling the wings, and continuing the landing. Just before touchdown, the right wing lifted, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He applied power to go around, but the stall warning activated, and the airplane continued to drift left. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and collided with the ground and an airport taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The student reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, the airport's automated weather reporting station reported that the wind was from 270° at 6 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.
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
- Other weather encounter during approach
- Loss of control on ground during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,333.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 6, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 1,766 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E63 Gila Bend AZ at 4:11 pm
- Destination: E25 Wickenburg AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 23, 6,101 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from KBXK, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 8, 2019. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Student Pilot's Statement from Flight School | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 3 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.