Piper PA22-160 accident near Bagdad, Arizona, February 11, 1991
On February 11, 1991 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Piper PA22-160, registered N3064Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bagdad, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THAT THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE LANDING FLARE ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST VALVE AND THE PILOT'S ANXIETY DURING THE EMERGENCY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1991 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bagdad, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA22-160 · all PA22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N3064Z · registry record · serial 22-7019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE AT NORMAL CRUISE THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER. THE PLT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN THE SPARSELY POPULATED DESERT. DURING THE LANDING FLARE THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE ALTITUDE AND LANDED HARD. THE TWO REAR PASSENGERS, THINKING THERE WAS A FIRE ONBOARD, RELEASED THEIR SEAT BELTS BEFORE THE LANDING AND WERE EJECTED THROUGH THE DOOR ON TOUCHDOWN. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DISCLOSED THE SODIUM FILLED EXHAUST VALVE FAILED IN FATIGUE.
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: 4,700 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 4,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P06 Bullhead City AZ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX91LA096.