Piper PA-25-235 accident near Peoria, Arizona, May 11, 1995
On May 11, 1995 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N7403Z, was destroyed in an accident near Peoria, Arizona (Pleasant Valley Airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inflight loss of control due to his delay in releasing the glider after the towed glider experienced an unplanned altitude gain on takeoff when it encountered a dust devil.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 1995 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Peoria, Arizona · Pleasant Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7403Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3369
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS STATED THAT THE TOW PLANE ENCOUNTERED A 'DUST DEVIL' BETWEEN 100 AND 200 FEET AGL. HE THEN SAW THE GLIDER ENCOUNTER THE 'DUST DEVIL' AND GAIN ALTITUDE ABOVE THE TOW PLANE UNTIL THE TOW ROPE FORMED A 30- TO 45-DEGREE ANGLE. THE NOSE OF THE TOW PLANE THEN DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. THE TOW ROPE WAS FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED AFT OF THE TOW PLANE TOW RING. THE ROPE, WITH THE TOW RING ATTACHED, WAS LOCATED NEAR THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINDER OF THE ROPE, WITH THE GLIDER TOW RING ATTACHED, WAS FOUND BACK ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH. AN INSPECTION OF THE TOW PLANE HOOK RELEASE MECHANISM FOUND IT TO BE IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE MECHANISM OPENED ON IMPACT BASED ON THE SEPARATION OF THE TOW ROPE AND THE PROXIMITY OF THE ROPE TO THE TOW PLANE HOOK, AS WELL AS THE APPARENT SNAP BACK OF THE REMAINDER OF THE ROPE AWAY FROM THE CRASH SITE.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,126 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 2, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-BZC5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: AZ05 at 9:24 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23L, 4,000 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from DVT, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.