Piper PA-28-161 accident near Chandler, Arizona, May 26, 2010
On May 26, 2010 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N4122T, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the maintenance personnel to ensure adequate torque of a fuel line fitting, which resulted in an in-flight fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2010 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N4122T · no longer on the register · serial 2842013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot were performing touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings. When the airplane was turning to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern they began to see smoke in the cockpit, which was likely coming through the defroster vents. With the airplane about 1,600 feet mean sea level, the CFI assumed authority of the controls and declared an emergency to the tower air traffic controller. Within several seconds the smoke became thick in the cabin, and the CFI banked the airplane right with the intent of landing on the closet runway. The smoke in the cockpit became so thick that the CFI lost visual reference outside. He flared the airplane and it touched down hard. After the airplane came to a stop, the CFI and the private pilot exited. A review of the airplane maintenance logbooks revealed that the last annual inspection was completed 2 days prior to the accident. According to the records, the airplane had accrued approximately 4 additional flight hours since that inspection. An examination of the firewall revealed that its left side had a white coloration which turned to a black soot color on the right side, consistent with the fire originating on the left side of the engine. The fuel line leading from the engine driven fuel pump to the carburetor was found disconnected at the fuel pump. There was no visible impact damage to the “B” nut on the line or to the fitting on the fuel pump, indicating the line was not connected at the time of impact. Based on this evidence, it is likely that the “B” nut on the line was not properly tightened, which allowed it to back off due to normal engine vibration, resulting in the line disconnecting during the flight. Pressurized fuel from the fuel pump then sprayed onto the left side of the exhaust system and ignited. The engine manufacturer recommended that the fuel line “B” nut torque should be 35 in-lbs.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Fasteners › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Incorrect service/maintenance
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,823 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 2010; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chandler Air Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ at 2:45 pm
- Destination: CHD Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from CHD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.