Piper PA-44-180 accident near Prescott, Arizona, March 17, 1999
On March 17, 1999 at about 1:31 am local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N106BM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prescott, Arizona (Ernest A. Love Field). It was a personal 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
The pilot's misjudged landing flare resulting in a hard touchdown, and, his failure to adequately compensate for the existing crosswind condition and to maintain directional control during rollout on the wet runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1999 · about 1:31 am local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Ernest A. Love Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N106BM · no longer on the register · serial 44-7995325
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Ground witnesses observed the airplane flare out high, then touch down hard; it did not bounce. The airplane initially rolled down the runway. Then, it veered right and rolled over a culvert, collapsing the left main landing gear and the nose gear. Additional structural damage also occurred to the airframe. The pilot reported to a responding airport employee that the runway was 'slick.' At the time, the runway was wet due to light rain, no standing water was present, and the wind was from 220 degrees at 9 knots. In a written note addressed to the National Transportation Safety Board the pilot stated the following: 'NTSB, lack of crosswind correction, tailwind, hydroplaning, failure to timely go around.' The pilot was employed as a full-time flight instructor. Four days earlier he had passed a flight check for the multiengine flight instructor's certificate. His total multiengine flying experience and experience in the accident airplane was about 60 and 6 hours, respectively.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 475 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 390 as pilot in command; 290 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 945 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1999; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,408 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:41 am from PRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.