NTSB Identification: LAX94FA065.
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Accident occurred Saturday, December 04, 1993 in PAYSON, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/11/1995
Aircraft: PIPER PA-18-150, registration: N4417Z
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.THE PILOT LANDED AT PAYSON, ATE BREAKFAST, REFUELED HIS AIRPLANE & DEPARTED. A WITNESS NOTED NOTHING UNUSUAL AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED. IT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED ON RADAR, & THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND IN A RAVINE NEAR THE TOP OF A BOX CANYON, ABOUT 8.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PAYSON. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD CRASHED WHILE DESCENDING IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE DEFORMED WITH S-SHAPED BENDS, LEADING EDGE GOUGES & CHORD-WISE SCRATCHES. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLANE WAS LOADED AT OR NEAR ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT & THAT IT HAD STALLED. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD SHOWED 0.065 UG/G OF DIHYDROCODEINE & 25 UG/G OF SALICYLATE (ASPIRIN). DIHYDROCODEINE & SALICYLATE WERE ALSO DETECTED IN HIS URINE.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: PILOT IMPAIRMENT FROM IMPROPER USE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS (NOT APPROVED FOR FLYING), RISING TERRAIN, AND BOX CANYON. Full narrative availableIndex for Dec1993 | Index of months