Piper PA 22-160 accident near Carefree, Arizona, January 17, 2004
On January 17, 2004 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA 22-160, registered N8718D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carefree, Arizona. It was a personal 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 pilot's inadequate fuel management by his failure to switch the fuel tank selector position, which resulted in fuel starvation, a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2004 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Carefree, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 22-160 · all PA 22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8718D · registry record · serial 22-5899
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power during cruise, and the airplane collided with rocks during the emergency landing on a beach. At the accident site, the right fuel tank was discovered to be empty, and the fuel selector positioned to the right tank. Recovery personnel operating under the supervision of FAA personnel, successfully ran the engine up to 2,300 rpm at a follow-up examination.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2003; 335 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O 320 B2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAN Payson AZ at 6:30 pm
- Destination: FFZ Falcon Field AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KSDL, 25 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.