No fatalities
PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-28-181 accident at Scottsdale, AZ, 21 Jan 2026
On January 21, 2026, a PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-28-181 operated by American Flyers was involved in an aviation accident near Scottsdale, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot’s failure to properly adjust their seat and failure to set the parking brake before engine start, which resulted in a collision with parked vehicles. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 16 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to properly adjust their seat and failure to set the parking brake before engine start, which resulted in a collision with parked vehicles.
— NTSB Determination
Contributing factors
Pilot