Piper PA-18-135 accident near Parker, Arizona, August 14, 1988
On August 14, 1988 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N9965Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Parker, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- August 14, 1988 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Parker, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N9965Q · registry record · serial 18-3957
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT JUST AFTER TKOF FROM A RIVER THE ENG WAS NOT DEVELOPING SUFFICIENT POWER TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT MADE A LANDING AND DURING THE LANDING ROLL COLLIDED WITH ROUGH TERRAIN. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN AND FOUND TO OPERATE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 105 DEGREES F. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 3400 FEET.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,170 hours in all; 410 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,880 as pilot in command; 1,135 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 1988; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sheble Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 106°F (41°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.