Piper PA-32R-301T accident near Tucson, Arizona, August 30, 1984
On August 30, 1984 at about 6:00 am local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, registered N4575L, was destroyed in an accident near Tucson, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
controlled flight into terrain that resulted from the pilot's failure to ensure a safe VFR altitude. The dark night, which restricted the pilot's view of terrain, was a factor in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1984 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301T PA-32R-301 · all PA-32R-301Ts on the register
- Registration
- N4575L · no longer on the register · serial 32R-8029034
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Weather at the time of the accident consisted of a high pressure system over the desert southwest with unrestricted visibility. No convective activity had been detected within several hours in the vicinity of the accident site. The sectional chart indicates the minimum altitude for aircraft flying over Saguaro National Park is ground elevation plus 2,000 feet. The chart also depicts Rincon Peak, the highest point in the park, as having an elevation of 8,482 feet msl. The eastbound aircraft collided with steeply rising terrain within the park boundary less than a mile north of Rincon Peak at the 7,500 foot level. There was no moon illumination at the time of the accident.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,092 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1984; 121 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-540-S1AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA at 4:00 am
- Destination: Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 am from TUS, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.