Training Flight Ends in Phoenix Backyard After Mechanical Failure

A Piper PA-28 carrying a flight instructor and a student pilot struck two homes in northern Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday morning before coming to rest nose-down in a residential backyard. Three people were injured, but all survived what easily could have been far worse.

The aircraft had taken off from nearby Deer Valley Airport and was returning after experiencing a mechanical problem when it struck the first home just before 7:30 a.m. One wing separated and came to rest on the roof of that house before the aircraft continued into the backyard of a second home, coming down next to a swimming pool. A fuel leak from the detached wing reached the attic of one of the houses, prompting a hazmat response.

The flight instructor and student sustained minor cuts and burns and were transported to a hospital in stable condition. A resident of one of the struck homes was also taken in for evaluation as a precautionary measure. One of the bedrooms hit belonged to a baby’s room. The infant was not inside at the time.

Phoenix Fire Department Captain Todd Keller confirmed all three were expected to recover. Four residents and four dogs were displaced from their homes as police blocked off the surrounding street for several hours. Red Cross responded to support the displaced families.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. A preliminary report is expected within days, though the mechanical cause of the incident has not yet been determined.