Aero Commander 200D accident near Corona De Tucso, Arizona, April 21, 2003
On April 21, 2003 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Aero Commander 200D, registered N243M, was destroyed in an accident near Corona De Tucso, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from obstructions while performing low level passes. The pilot's physical impairment due to a high blood alcohol level was also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2003 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Corona De Tucso, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 200D · all 200Ds on the register
- Registration
- N243M · registry record · serial 295
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While making low passes over a construction site, the airplane collided with a trailer and came to rest about 150 yards from the first identified point of contact. Two separate toxicological tests were conducted on the pilot. The Pima County Forensic Science Center found a 0.15-percent blood alcohol level while a separate toxicological test performed by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute found a 100-mg/dL (0.10-percent) blood alcohol level.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVQ Marana AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from TUS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX03LA139.