Piper PA-28-181 accident near Mesa, Arizona, February 4, 2020
On February 4, 2020 at about 10:02 pm local time, a 2019 Piper PA-28-181, registered N4400F, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Fld 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
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control and the flight instructor's inadequate remediation during a short-field takeoff, which resulted in impact with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 2020 · about 10:02 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181, built 2019 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4400F · registry record · serial 2881139
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that she briefed the soft-field takeoff procedure with the student pilot while holding short for the active runway. After the flight was cleared for takeoff, the student aligned the airplane with the runway centerline, advanced the throttle to the full-power position, and released aft pressure from the yoke. During the ground roll, the instructor briefly lost sight of the runway, and when the runway reappeared, she saw the airplane rapidly veering left. The instructor applied full right rudder and right aileron, but the airplane continued veering left. Unable to stop the turn, the instructor reduced engine power but quickly restored it with the intent of flying the airplane back to the runway because the airplane had become airborne. However, the airplane then rolled left, the stall horn sounded, and the airplane touched down on the taxiway and impacted a parked airplane. The right wing and left aileron sustained substantial damage. The instructor and student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that could 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 679.4 hours in all; 49.5 in this make and model; 115.9 in the last 90 days; 42.4 in the last 30 days; 584.4 as pilot in command; 375.7 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 21, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,313.4 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 30, 2020; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-360-A4M (piston); 1,313 hours total
- Operator: Cae Oxford Aviation Academy Phoenix
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 10:02 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22L, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2020. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Instructor Statement Excerpt from 6120 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | 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.