Cessna 180 accident near Tucson, Arizona, April 3, 2001
On April 3, 2001 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N21394, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Palo Verde Ranch airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to attain and maintain a sufficient airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2001 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Palo Verde Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N21394 · registry record · serial 18050728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The single-engine airplane impacted brush and trees during takeoff from a 850-foot-long private airstrip. The private pilot stated he noticed a momentary loss of engine power shortly after takeoff power was applied. The engine power returned for the remainder of the takeoff roll; however, since the aircraft lost some acceleration at the beginning of the takeoff, the "remainder of the field was required to obtain flying speed." The airplane started to climb, but the airplane's tail impacted a bush at the end of the airstrip and "slowed the aircraft to stall speed." The pilot attempted not to stall the airplane before it impacted two trees. The engine was test run at the salvage facility following the accident. The engine ran through various power settings, including maximum power, with no anomalies noted.
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: flight engineer, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 697 hours in all; 613 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 625 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 11, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,832 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 2000; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N/A Tucson AZ at 3:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 850 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; a few clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from TUS, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N21394 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.