Amateur-built A-1 accident near Mesa, Arizona, September 3, 1983
On September 3, 1983 at about 2:45 pm local time, a amateur-built A-1, registered N369Y, was destroyed in an accident near Mesa, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 1983 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built A-1
- Registration
- N369Y · registry record · serial PM-14372
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED PERFORMING 2 OR 3 CONSECUTIVE LOOPS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 1,000 FT. FOLLOWING THE LAST LOOP, THEACFT PULLED UP TO A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE, STALLED, SLID STRAIGHT DOWN & ENTERED A SPIN. THE ENG WAS HEARD RUNNING IN AN APPARENT NORMAL MANNER PRIOR TO THE STALL. NO ENG SOUNDS WERE HEARD DURING THE SPIN & THE PROP WAS OBSERVED NOT ROTATING BEFORE IMPACT. THE ENG WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN INVERTED FUEL SYSTEM. THE ACFT WAS PROHIBITED FROM AEROBATIC FLT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PLT HAD EVER RECEIVED ANY AEROBATIC INSTRUCTION.
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: 227 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 198 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from PIG, 6 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.