Piper PA30 accident near Tucson, Arizona, November 10, 2010
On November 10, 2010 at about 11:57 pm local time, a Piper PA30, registered N628R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson International 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 impairment by an undiagnosed medical condition, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent collision with a building during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly when he was not feeling well.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2010 · about 11:57 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA30 · all PA30s on the register
- Registration
- N628R · no longer on the register · serial 30-595
- 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 a headache before the flight, that his thinking had been impaired all day, and that he was having trouble with his left-side motor skills. He flew a cross-country flight in order to accomplish a check ride, but during the oral examination his headache persisted so he canceled the remainder of the oral exam and the scheduled check ride. The pilot flew to his home base, and after landing he could not slow the airplane before reaching his intended taxiway, so he continued to the next taxiway. The airplane did not stop or turn when crossing the second taxiway and continued forward until it struck a light post with the right wing tip tank. Fuel began escaping as the airplane continued forward into a building's plate glass window. The pilot estimated that his speed at the point of contact was 5 mph, and he stated that he did not hit his head. Several hours after the accident, the pilot's wife noticed that he was shuffling his left foot, and he was still feeling the severe headache that he had at the start of the day. He went to a hospital that night for examination where medical personnel discovered a subdural hematoma and performed immediate surgery to remove blood from his brain. It is likely that the pilot was neurologically impaired during the flight and thus unable to manipulate the rudder control and brakes to maneuver during taxi to avoid the collision with the building.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Medical event during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Neurological › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,264 hours in all; 1,169 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 7, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,149 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2010; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Textron Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Textron Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P19 Chandler AZ at 10:20 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11L, 10,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KTUS
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.