Piper PA 28-140 accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, November 25, 2015
On November 25, 2015 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA 28-140, registered N7PM, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Wickenburg, Arizona (Wickenburg Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to a separation of the mixture control cable clamp, which was either not installed or secured correctly during maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2015 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wickenburg, Arizona · Wickenburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-140, built 1964 · all PA 28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N7PM · registry record · serial 28-20362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and private pilot were approaching the airport for landing. According to the flight instructor, when the pilot applied engine power to arrest the airplane's descent, the engine did not respond. Because the airplane was not within gliding distance of the runway, the pilots performed an emergency landing on desert terrain, sustaining substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. Examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor mixture control cable clamp, which should have been located between the firewall and the carburetor mixture control arm, was missing. Without the clamp, the mixture control cable could flex, which resulted in no corresponding movement of the arm when the mixture control lever was adjusted in the cockpit. A test of the engine with a makeshift clamp revealed no anomalies. It is likely that, because the airplane had flown about 1 hour before the accident, the mixture control cable clamp separated during the flight, and the mixture control arm became stuck in a reduced-fuel position, resulting in a partial loss of engine power. The engine had been reinstalled on the airplane about 1 hour tachometer time before the accident. It is likely that the clamp was improperly installed or secured at that time.
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 engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not serviced/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel distribution › Not serviced/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 13, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,931 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 10, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,344.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2015; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 4,344 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E25 Wickenburg AZ at 4:00 pm
- Destination: E25 Wickenburg AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 6,101 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:58 pm from KLUF, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.