Piper PA-32-301 accident near Williams, Arizona, February 27, 2005
On February 27, 2005 at about 4:51 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-301, registered N8339P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williams, Arizona (H. A. Clark Memorial Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper ground handling procedure and failure to ensure the magnetos were off prior to movement of the propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2005 · about 4:51 pm local time
- Place
- Williams, Arizona · H. A. Clark Memorial Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301 · all PA-32-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8339P · no longer on the register · serial 32-8106046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided on the ground with obstacles after the engine started following the pilot's movement of the propeller by hand. When the pilot initially attempted to start the engine the starter did not properly engage. The pilot exited the airplane and moved the propeller by hand. Two passengers remained in the airplane's rear seats. The transient parking area was equipped with tie down chains, but the pilot had not secured the airplane. The engine suddenly started when the pilot turned the propeller, the pilot fell down, and the airplane commenced moving with increasingly rapid speed at near full engine power. After the runaway airplane rolled about 300 feet and nearly collided with two commuter-type airplanes and dozens of passengers/bystanders, the airplane impacted the side of an unoccupied horse trailer.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 24, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P32 Williams AZ
- Destination: L67 Rialto CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.