Piper PA-28-181 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, December 8, 2010
On December 8, 2010 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N418PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2010 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N418PA · registry record · serial 2843414
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing, the student pilot was cleared to taxi to the ramp area at his flight school. The student pilot stated that he was taxiing along the taxiway centerline and nearing the ramp area when he observed an airplane holding at an adjacent ramp area. He said that while taxiing in front of the airplane he did not think there was enough room to safely pass, so he maneuvered his airplane to the right to avoid the other airplane. After passing the airplane, the right wing tip hit a parked fuel truck. The airplane yawed to the right, contacted two other parked trucks, and came to a stop. The damage was reported to the NTSB approximately one month after the accident, following the identification of structural damage to the right wing leading edge and rear carry through spar.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,602 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 4, 2010; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bird Acquisition LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 3:15 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.