Boeing E75 accident near Happy Jack, Arizona, August 4, 2009
On August 4, 2009 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Boeing E75, registered N5195N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Happy Jack, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2009 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Happy Jack, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing E75 · all E75s on the register
- Registration
- N5195N · registry record · serial 75-5960
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The passenger reported that during cruise flight, the pilot “decided to turn around because the airplane was not gaining altitude.” The passenger stated that his head was down looking at a chart as they turned and when he looked up, “they were going down fast and then he blacked out.” Examination of the accident site and airplane by first responders revealed that the airplane impacted the ground within an open field at an elevation of about 6,692 feet mean sea level (msl). Structural damage was observed to the upper and lower left wings and empennage consistent with a stall and a nose down impact. Using reported weather conditions from a weather reporting station located 15 miles northwest of the accident site and the reported accident site elevation, density altitude was calculated to be about 10,681 feet msl. Post accident examination of the recovered airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that 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 control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 668 hours in all; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680E-B4E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P52 Cottonwood AZ at 9:45 pm
- Destination: Holbrook AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from SEZ, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.