Boeing B75N1 accident near Mesa, Arizona, May 31, 2004
On May 31, 2004 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Boeing B75N1, registered N48579, was destroyed in an accident near Mesa, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while performing aerobatics that resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2004 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B75N1 · all B75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N48579 · no longer on the register · serial 75-6929
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
!! THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED JANUARY 18, 2006!! While performing aerobatics, the airplane stalled, entered a spin, and collided with the ground in an uncontrolled descent. The pilot and passenger departed from a nearby airport for a local area scenic flight. A witness reported seeing the airplane doing a series of loops and turns. An additional witness reported seeing the airplane pitch up, turn to the left, and then enter a counterclockwise spin prior to impact with the ground. According to the pilot's family, he did not do aerobatics in the airplane. The pilot purchased the airplane about 2 months prior to the accident and had accumulated approximately 41 hours in the accident airplane. A Safety Board meteorologist reported that an evaluation of surrounding weather at the time of the accident indicated clear skies. Post accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any control or powerplant malfunctions. The pilot had severe coronary artery disease noted on autopsy and a history of Type II diabetes which had not been revealed to the FAA. It was not possible to determine whether symptoms from these conditions contributed either to the pilot's decision to engage in aerobatics or his ultimate failure to maintain airspeed
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: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,051.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Falcon Field AZ at 3:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 pm from FFZ, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.