Piper PA-28-180 accident near Showlow, Arizona, August 19, 1993
On August 19, 1993 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9533J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Showlow, Arizona. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to a separation of the mixture control balljoint assembly at the carburetor mixture arm and subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1993 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Showlow, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9533J · registry record · serial 28-3683
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER WHILE AT CRUISE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN HIS ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH A BUSH DURING THE LANDING ROLL IN THE HIGH DESERT TERRAIN. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE BALLJOINT ASSEMBLY THAT ATTACHES THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE TO THE MIXTURE ARM ON THE CARBURETOR HAD SEPARATED. AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED 10 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,573 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 5,515 as pilot in command; 3,382 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,546 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 1993; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E69 Payson AZ at 12:10 pm
- Destination: TCC Tucumcari NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 LAX93LA330.