Piper PA-32-260 accident near Sedona, Arizona, November 13, 2008
On November 13, 2008 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N3929W, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 2008 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3929W · no longer on the register · serial 32-926
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was the return leg of a personal sightseeing trip that had originated the day of the accident. Witnesses observed the airplane depart from the airport, and then fly below the ridge lines of an adjacent mesa in a pattern that was consistent with a sightseeing flight. The airplane then climbed above the mountain ridges and out of view. The wreckage was located about 1,600 feet above the airport elevation, in an area close to the last position observed by witnesses. Shortly after the accident the pilot stated to a witness, who was the first to arrive at the accident site, that the engine lost power. The pilot succumbed to his injuries 2 months following the accident, and as such could not be interviewed. The airplane was serviced with fuel prior to the flight, and traces of fuel were observed at the accident site. Propeller witness marks indicated that the engine had been rotating at the time of impact with terrain. The airplane was extensively damaged by postaccident fire; however, examination of the remaining wreckage revealed no obvious anomalies which would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 379 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 301 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 28, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,341 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SEZ Sedona AZ at 11:30 pm
- Destination: AZ90 Laveen AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,132 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from FLG, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.