Piper PA28 accident near Payson, Arizona, January 24, 2020
On January 24, 2020 at about 4:11 pm local time, a 1967 Piper PA28, registered N3672K, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Payson, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to fly into a canyon with rising terrain, and his subsequent loss of aircraft control while maneuvering away from rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2020 · about 4:11 pm local time
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1967 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N3672K · registry record · serial 28-23682
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passengers decided to fly over the nearby mountains so the passengers could spot wildlife on the terrain below. The pilot and surviving passenger recalled the airplane running well as they made a turn towards the mountains, but neither reported any memories of the flight after that point. Radar flight track data showed the airplane depart and fly to the mountains while maintaining an altitude of about 1,000 ft above ground level. The airplane completed a turning maneuver and descended into a canyon. Near the accident site, the flight track was consistent with the pilot maneuvering to avoid rising terrain. The accident site debris field was in a down-canyon direction. Examination of the wreckage and the accident site revealed that the airplane was in a nose-high attitude at the time of impact and possibly nearing the stall speed of the airplane. The propeller damage suggests that the engine was producing power at the time of impact. The examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine 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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 117 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 89 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,194 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2019
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PAN Payson AZ at 4:00 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KPAN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on December 15, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot and Passenger Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Googleearth View of the radar Track | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | radar Data | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Accident Site Examination Summary | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Ntsb-engine Examination Summary | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Piper Off-site Examination Notes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Logbook Excerpt-last Annual Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-piper Aircraft | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-lycoming Engines | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Toxicology Report-passenger | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.