Piper PA-28-161 accident near Tucson, Arizona, May 13, 2004
On May 13, 2004 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N84245, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Ryan Field). 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
the backhoe driver's failure to maintain visual lookout while maneuvering near a taxiway, which resulted in its collision with a taxiing airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2004 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Ryan Field · 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-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N84245 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8116295
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A backhoe backed onto a taxiway and impacted an airplane while it was taxiing. The pilot indicated that he observed the backhoe next to the taxiway and elected to stop to see what it was doing. When he noted that the backhoe was not moving, he proceeded to move ahead on the taxiway. As the airplane taxied abeam the backhoe, the backhoe moved back onto the taxiway and impacted the airplane's right wing. The pilot and chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 182 hours in all; 182 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,172.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 30, 2004; 41.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Iata Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 10:00 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from TUS, 10 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.
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.