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WPR14CA003

2013-10-01 · Wellton, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s distracted attention and failure to maintain sufficient altitude to clear terrain while maneuvering in dark night conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he was reading a map in an effort to identify the correct field to spray while maneuvering at low altitude in dark night conditions. While maneuvering in a turn the pilot did not realize the airplane was descending and subsequently collided with terrain. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.         The pilot reported that he was reading a map in an effort to identify the correct field to spray while maneuvering at low altitude in dark night conditions. While maneuvering in a turn the pilot did not realize the airplane was descending and subsequently collided with terrain. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Attention-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Dark-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_WPR14CA003.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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