Piper PA-23-150 accident near Tucson, Arizona, October 23, 2013
On October 23, 2013 at about 5:40 pm local time, a 1957 Piper PA-23-150, registered N3162P, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intern Arpt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff following the loss of left engine power due to the failure of the left engine-driven fuel pump’s diaphragm. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the electric fuel boost pumps for takeoff in accordance with checklist procedures and to conduct the engine failure emergency procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2013 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intern Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-150 Apache D, built 1957 · all PA-23-150s on the register
- Registration
- N3162P · no longer on the register · serial 23-1094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, who did not have a multiengine rating, reported that, during takeoff, the airplane's nose starting turning left; he did not realize that it was due to the left engine losing power. As a result, he did not perform the engine failure emergency procedure. A witness reported hearing one of the engines "misfiring" and subsequently seeing the airplane drift left, roll into a steep left bank, and then impact the ground. Postaccident examination revealed no fuel in the left engine's fuel strainer and carburetor; the right engine's fuel strainer and carburetor both contained fuel. Fuel was present in both the left and right wing fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel contamination was found. The left engine-driven fuel pump's diaphragm was found to be brittle and cracked in several locations, which resulted in its inability to provide sufficient fuel pressure to maintain engine power during takeoff. No other anomalies were found with the left engine's fuel system. The electric fuel boost pump switches were both found in the "off" position, indicating that the pilot had not turned them on before takeoff as called for in both the owner's handbook before takeoff checklist and the before takeoff checklist located on a placard on the instrument panel. If the pilot had turned on the electric fuel boost pumps, the left engine would not have lost power because the electric pump would have compensated for the malfunction of the engine-driven pump.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 14 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,169 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,501 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 5:30 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 8,408 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from DMA, 4 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.