Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Meadview, Arizona, January 25, 2011
On January 25, 2011 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N3751U, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Meadview, Arizona (Pearce Ferry Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to properly secure the airplane while manually starting the engine with the propeller, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2011 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Meadview, Arizona · Pearce Ferry Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N3751U · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7703206
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had shutdown the engine on a remote dirt airport to inspect the tires before takeoff. When he attempted to restart the engine the battery was insufficiently charged and would not start the engine. The pilot decided to attempt to start the engine by hand propping it. He set the throttle, brake, and turned the magnetos to on. The pilot used a hand-prop method to attempt to start the engine. The engine ultimately started but accelerated before the pilot could enter the airplane, first hitting a berm and then continuing over a cliff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
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
- Ground handling event during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 268 hours in all; 122 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 225 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 14, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,698 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 2010; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVU Boulder City NV at 4:55 pm
- Destination: BVU Boulder City NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from HND, 48 miles away
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.