Piper PA-28-181 accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, January 14, 2004
On January 14, 2004 at about 7:17 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4160A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control on the takeoff roll. A factor in the accident was the pilot's failure to retract the flaps.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2004 · about 7:17 pm local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4160A · registry record · serial 2843209
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a series of objects following a loss of directional control while on the landing roll. The student pilot failed to retract the flaps prior to attempting the takeoff portion of a touch-and-go. The nose wheel remained in contact with the runway after the main landing gear lifted off, and the airplane swerved to the left. The airplane, with both main landing gear airborne, veered off to the left side of the runway. The right main landing gear collided with a taxiway identifier sign. The airplane continued across the dirt infield and the parallel taxiway until the wingtip collided with a bay door on a tee hangar. It continued on to the next bay of the same hangar and collided with a parked, unoccupied airplane. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 19 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sabena Airline Training Center INC
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N4160A 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.