Piper PA-23-150 accident near Eloy, Arizona, January 25, 1993
On January 25, 1993, a Piper PA-23-150, registered N2144P, was destroyed in an accident near Eloy, Arizona (Eloy airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL SYSTEM CONTAMINATION AND A PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTED CARBURETOR VENTURI, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1993
- Place
- Eloy, Arizona · Eloy
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-150 · all PA-23-150s on the register
- Registration
- N2144P · registry record · serial 23-744
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE 1ST TAKEOFF ROLL, THERE WAS A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. HE TAXIED BACK AND RAN UP THE ENGINES. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS RUN UP THREE TIMES UNTIL THE 'PUFFING (OR POPPING) NOISES' WERE NO LONGER HEARD, AND THE PILOT COMMENCED ANOTHER TAKEOFF. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING ONE OR MORE ENGINES SPUTTER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LOST LEFT ENGINE POWER WITHIN 300 FT AGL. HE MADE A STEEP BANK LEFT TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, LOST CONTROL, AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE LEFT ENGINE AND CARBURETOR ASSEMBLY WERE SUCCESSFULLY TEST RUN. CLEAR, BLUE COLORED FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT ENGINE'S CARBURETOR AND GASCOLATOR, AND IN THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK. CLOUDY, GREEN COLORED SEDIMENT LADEN FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT ENGINE'S CARBURETOR, AND IN THE RIGHT ENGINE DRIVEN AND AUXILIARY FUEL PUMPS. A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE, WHICH WAS LABORATORY IDENTIFIED AS BEING POLYSTYRENE, WAS FOUND ADHERED TO THE INSIDE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE'S VENTURI.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 1992; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: RYN Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 3,900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX93FA103.