Piper PA 28-181 accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, June 20, 2014
On June 20, 2014 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1999 Piper PA 28-181, registered N928PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Scottsdale, 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 pilot's inadequate flare and failure to maintain aircraft control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2014 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley · 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, built 1999 · all PA 28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N928PA · no longer on the register · serial 2843298
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was making the last landing on his solo cross-country flight. On final approach the airspeed was high, and the airplane floated down the runway. The airplane landed hard and bounced back into the air. After the bounce, he applied power to abort the landing, but the airplane landed hard again, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage firewall.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,172 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 14, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E25 Wickenberg AZ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: DVT Scottsdale AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 25L, 8,196 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KDVT, 1 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.