Piper PA-32-300 accident near Havasu Landing, California, June 10, 1990
On June 10, 1990 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N3AH, was destroyed in an accident near Havasu Landing, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY SECURE AN OIL SUPPLY LINE B-NUT FITTING AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, WHICH ALLOWED THE OIL LINE TO BECOME DISCONNECTED AND LED TO OIL EXHAUSTION AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1990 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Havasu Landing, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N3AH · registry record · serial 32-40684
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING ABT 7 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. HE THEN HEARD A NOISE FM THE ENG & DIVERTED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, THEN FAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT IMPACTED TRRN DURING AN EMERG LNDG IN A DRY RIVER WASH & BEGAN BURNING. ONE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED DURING THE ACDNT. THE PLT (WITH THERMAL INJURIES) & 1 PSGR SUCCUMBED TO INJURIES A DAY LATER. AN EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A LOSS OF OIL & OIL EXHAUSTION. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT A B-NUT FITTING (ON AN OIL LINE FM THE ENG TO THE RGT OIL COOLER) HAD BACKED OFF THE NIPPLE FITTING ON THE ENG. A HVY COATING OF OIL WAS FND ON THE BELLY OF THE ACFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT PERFORMED HIS OWN OIL AND OIL FILTER CHANGES. HE HAD CHANGED THE OIL & FILTER 2 DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT. THE SUBJECT OIL SUPPLY LINE WAS ONE THAT WAS TYPICALLY REMOVED DURING OIL CHANGES TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF THE OIL FILTER AND TO DRAIN THE OIL COOLER.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,075 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LHU Lake Havasu AZ at 11:20 pm
- Destination: L12 Redlands CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:57 pm from EED, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.