Plane that crashed into Phoenix homes lost engine power, NTSB says
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A small plane that crashed into two homes in Phoenix last month, injuring three people, lost engine power shortly after takeoff, federal investigators said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that the Piper PA-28-140 experienced a rapid decline in engine performance shortly after departing Deer Valley Airport on March 4, forcing the instructor to attempt an emergency turnaround.
The plane, carrying a flight instructor and student pilot, climbed to an altitude of approximately 1,700 feet before returning to the airport. However, the plane failed to achieve this.
The engine’s rpm dropped to approximately 600 to 700 and began to shudder before briefly stabilizing, the report said. Despite the pilot’s efforts to regain power, the engine continued to fail before completely failing just 5 to 10 seconds before impact.
SMALL PLANE CRASHED INTO PHOENIX’S HOUSE MINUTES AFTER TAKE OFF, 3 INJURED
A student pilot and instructor were on the plane that crashed into a house in Phoenix on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The couple was injured and taken to hospital for treatment. (FOX10 Phoenix KSAZ)
Investigators reviewed home security camera footage from the neighborhood that showed the small plane dropping its right wing and flying low over houses before entering a shallow right turn. The wing hit the roof of one house and then crashed into the exterior wall of the second house next door. The plane came to rest in the backyard of the second house.
After the accident, one person in the house was injured and taken to the hospital. (FOX10 Phoenix KSAZ)
Aerial images taken after the incident showed debris, including the right wing of the plane, scattered on the roof and the fuselage lying crumpled in the backyard.
Hazardous materials teams responded to the scene after the fuel leak from the crashed plane. (FOX10 Phoenix KSAZ)
SMALL PLANE CRASH IN FLORIDA CAPTURED IN DRAMATIC HOME SAFETY VIDEO
The accident shocked the residents, one of them described the accident as follows: FOX10 Phoenix A sound like “a bomb exploded”.
The NTSB said weather conditions were clear at the time, environmental factors were ruled out, and mechanical issues were the primary focus of the investigation.
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Investigators are now examining the recovered engine and wreckage at a secure facility to determine what caused the loss of power.
