Piper PA-28-150 accident near Sierra Vista, Arizona, December 28, 1990
On December 28, 1990 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-150, registered N5968W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sierra Vista, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICE FROM IMPROPER USE OF THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1990 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sierra Vista, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-150 · all PA-28-150s on the register
- Registration
- N5968W · registry record · serial 28-3860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SIERRA VISTA AIRPORT AS A LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING OUT FROM THE FOURTH TOUCH AND GO WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOOSE POWER. THE PILOT'S ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE LOSS OF POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES 200 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WHILE ATTEMPTING A RETURN TO THE RUNWAY. THE SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA, AVIATION WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT REPORTED A TEMPERATURE OF 52 DEGREES AND A DEW POINT OF 47 DEGREES. REVIEW OF A CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART REVEALED THAT THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT FALLS WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS 'SERIOUS ICING -- CRUISE OR CLIMB POWER.'
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: 511 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.