Sabrena DRAGONFLY accident near Maricopa, Arizona, February 24, 2014
On February 24, 2014 at about 1:00 am local time, a 2007 Sabrena DRAGONFLY, registered N7745C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Maricopa, Arizona (Ak-Chin Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and subsequently experiencing an aerodynamic stall and spin at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2014 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Maricopa, Arizona · Ak-Chin Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sabrena DRAGONFLY, built 2007
- Registration
- N7745C · registry record · serial 072403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that, after the pilot uneventfully released a tandem glider, he descended to about 30 feet above the ground and released the tow line. Afterward, the airplane pitched up abruptly until it was about 200 feet above the ground on what appeared to be the downwind leg of the runway traffic pattern. The nose of the airplane temporarily leveled before it pitched up a second time. The airplane then appeared to stall: the left wing dropped, and the airplane spun about two to three revolutions before impacting the ground in a nose-low attitude. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 763 hours in all; 47 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 13, 2013
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: A39 Maricopa AZ
- Destination: A39 Maricopa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,751 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on January 8, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witness Interview Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Google Map – Approximate Location of Accident on Airport | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector’s Written Statement – Airframe/engine Examination | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Annual Inspection Sticker | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 1 - Main Wreckage from Front (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 2 - Left Side of Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.