Piper J5 accident near Carefree, Arizona, January 27, 2006
On January 27, 2006 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper J5, registered N35588, 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for the precautionary landing and failure to avoid obstacles during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2006 · about 8:30 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 J5 · all J5s on the register
- Registration
- N35588 · no longer on the register · serial 5-686
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a log during landing rollout in a dry riverbed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was notified that an airplane had been seen in a dry riverbed. FAA inspectors went to the site the next day and found the airplane in the riverbed with a collapsed right landing gear strut. They found tracks in a straight line from the touchdown point to the impact point with no indications of a turn. The pilot said he made a precautionary landing in the dry riverbed to troubleshoot engine problems.
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: 160 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 75 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 165 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,640 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E25 Wickenburg AZ
- Destination: 18AZ Carefree AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
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.