Piper PA-24-180 accident near Nogales, Arizona, April 17, 1994
On April 17, 1994 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N6331P, was destroyed in an accident near Nogales, Arizona (Nogales International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1994 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Nogales, Arizona · Nogales International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6331P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1175
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED AN AIRPORT LOCATED AT 3,932 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WITH FOUR OCCUPANTS. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ESTIMATED AT 6,500 FEET. THE AIRPLANE'S GROSS WEIGHT WAS CALCULATED TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING LOW AND SLOW ABOUT 3/4 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AND THE WINGS APPEARED TO BE WOBBLING. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A LEFT TURN ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND AND SUDDENLY DESCENDED IN A STEEP NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE TO THE GROUND. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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: 305 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,191 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 7, 1993; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 6,020 ft by 90 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots, gusting 14
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Observation at 9:18 pm from OLS, 1 miles away
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.
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.