Piper PA-28-151 accident near Cibecue, Arizona, April 9, 2007
On April 9, 2007 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N42487, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cibecue, Arizona (Cibecue Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper control of the airplane during an off airport landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's psychological condition, impairment due to overdose of prescription medication, inadequate in-flight planning and mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2007 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cibecue, Arizona · Cibecue Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N42487 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7415393
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility two days prior to the accident flight following an overdose of clonazepam, a prescription anti-anxiety medication. He left the facility the day prior to the flight, and took off just after midnight on the day of the accident. The pilot stated that thirty to forty minutes into the night cross-country flight, he realized that he had forgotten his suitcase and returned to the departure airport. He further stated that after retrieving the luggage, he continued the flight to his original intended destination, and about two hours into the flight, elected to make an unscheduled landing due to a low fuel situation. The pilot indicated that, while maneuvering to the airport, he encountered rising terrain that he felt the airplane would not climb over, due to performance constraints of the airplane, and elected to land off airport. The airplane collided with trees and terrain during the landing, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot received minor injures. Post-accident toxicology testing indicated recent use of two different antidepressants, recent use of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and use of clonazepam at a level consistent with overdose and in the range typically causing drowsiness and difficulty maintaining balance.
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: 175 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,840 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 8:00 am
- Destination: KAEG Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.