Thursday, April 09, 2026

Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga II TC, N4190E, fatal accident occurred on April 8, 2026, at Marana Regional Airport (AVQ/KAVQ), Marana, Arizona

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N4190E

- History of Flight:
On April 8, 2026, at about 1710 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T Saratoga II TC, N4190E, registered to 4190E LLC out of Tucson, AZ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Marana Regional Airport (AVQ/KAVQ), Marana, Arizona. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight originated from Springerville Municipal Airport (JTC/KJTC), Springerville, Arizona, at 1552 local time.

According to flight-tracking history, on the morning of the day of the accident, at 0912 LT, the airplane departed the Downtown Airport (3DW), Springfield, Missouri, on a 2h18m flight to the Elk City Municipal Airport (KELK), Elk City, Oklahoma. After a 1h15m break, at 1245 LT, the airplane departed KELK on a 3h40m flight to Springerville Municipal Airport (JTC/KJTC), Springerville, Arizona. The airplane departed KJTC on the accident flight after a ~1h30m break in Springerville.

According to preliminary automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, at 1706:44, the airplane arrived on runway 3 and was at 107 knots (groundspeed) on the threshold At 1707:05, the airplane was at 105 knots GS when it conducted a go-around and entered a slightly tight pattern for runway 3. At about 1708:59, the airplane appears to have overshot during the base-to-final turn. At 1709:35, the airplane was at 117 knots (GS) on the runway 3 threshold. At 1709:46, the airplane was about halfway through the 3900 foot runway at 91 knots. At 1709:56, the airplane appeared to veer slightly to the left at 66 knots GS. At 1709:58, the airplane appears to have overcorrected as it now attempted a go-around to the right with a reported groundspeed of 62 knots. At 1710:04, the last ADS-B data point was recorded after the departure end, and slightly to the right of runway 3. The airplane was likely at ~50 ft, 53 knots groundspeed, with no reported vertical rate.

Figure 1: ADS-B data

Figure 2: End of track

- Pilot Information:
Unknown.

- Airplane Information:
The accident aircraft, serial number 3257172, was manufactured in 2000. It was a six-seat, high-performance, single engine, all-metal fixed-wing airplane powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A engine.

- Wreckage and Impact Information:
The airplane came to rest upright in a small drainage end after the departure end of runway 3 and was consumed by a post crash fire. The propeller hub separated from the engine, but all three propeller blades remained attached to the hub. One hub was bent at the end, the other two remained relatively straight.

Figure 3: Propeller Hub

- Airport Information:
Marana Regional Airport (AVQ/KAVQ) is a non-towered public airport located 15 miles northwest of Marana, Arizona. The airport field elevation was 2031.5 ft. The airport features a primary asphalt runway 12/30 which is 6901 x 100 ft, and a shorter asphalt runway 3/21 which is 3892 x 75 ft.

- Weather:
(1) Brief:

The reported weather at 1655 LT included: variable winds at 6 knots, 10 mile visibility, no clouds under 12,000 ft (CLR), temperature 33 °C, dewpoint -4 °C, and an altimeter setting of 29.80 inches of mercury.

The calculated density altitude was 4767 ft.

(2) METARs:

METAR KAVQ 082335Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 33/M04 A2980 RMK AO2

METAR KAVQ 082355Z AUTO VRB06KT 10SM CLR 33/M04 A2980 RMK AO2

METAR KAVQ 090015Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 33/M04 A2980 RMK AO2

METAR KAVQ 090035Z AUTO 01007KT 350V050 10SM FEW017 33/M04 A2979 RMK AO2

(3) Area Forecast Discussion:

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
1149 AM MST Wed Apr 8 2026

.SYNOPSIS...

Warm and dry through Friday with high temperatures 6 to
10 degrees above normal. A weather system this weekend will result
in gusty southwest winds along with a 10 to 20 percent chance
of showers and thunderstorms. This system will bring cooler
temperatures with highs slightly below normal Sunday and Monday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Transient ridging over the desert southwest will bring a period
of high temperatures 6-10 degrees above normal through the work
week. Looking upstream, water vapor imagery this afternoon
depicts a closed Pacific low off the northern California coast,
with a sharper shortwave trough south of the Aleutian Islands.
By this weekend the shortwave trough is expected to drop
southeast and open the closed Pacific low, bringing the broad
cyclonic circulation into the western United States.

Recent trends in the deterministic/ensemble model space have
seen forecast precipitation totals/chances decrease with the
greatest chances remaining well to the north or in northern
Mexico. Split flow in the upper levels with this trough leaves
southeastern Arizona between the areas of more favorable upper
level dynamics and moisture feeds, which has lowered rain
probabilities for the region. Isolated showers and potentially a
thunderstorm are possible each day Friday into early next week,
but these chances should be limited (currently highest on
Saturday at 10-20%).

Increased flow aloft and cooler temperatures will bring windier
conditions with a transition to near to even below normal
temperatures as the trough axis fully crosses the region.
Southwesterly winds likely increase to 15 to 25 mph Saturday
and Sunday, with gusts to around 35 mph. However, with a mid-
level jet ejection on Sunday, a further increase in winds
(potentially to advisory levels) is possible. This potential
will depend on the jet timing as current deterministic models
favor a late evening arrival. If this jet arrives a bit quicker
or stronger than forecast, winds should increase as well.

Though the trough should bring modest moisture
into the region, there may be a window Sunday afternoon of
overlapping low relative humidities and strong winds that
produce near critical to critical fire weather conditions. This
potential (around a 20-50% chance currently) is mostly in areas
near and east of a Dudleyville-Tucson-Nogales line, which will
need to monitored for a potential future fire weather headline.

&&

.AVIATION Valid through 10/00Z...

FEW-SCT clouds at 9k-12k feet mainly near and east of KTUS-KOLS
through 09/06Z, then FEW-SCT 15k-20k feet after 09/18Z. Surface
winds light and terrain driven, then southwest to west 8-12 kts
after 09/19Z. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF
amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Afternoon winds become southwest to westerly 10-15 mph Thursday
and Friday as a Pacific system approaches the region. Southwest
winds increase further this weekend as the system crosses the
region, becoming 15-25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. There remains
some uncertainty in timing and strength of this system, with
potential for even stronger winds on Sunday. Moisture will
increase but not substantially, bringing slight chances for
showers and thunderstorms Friday through Monday but leaving the
door open for increasing fire weather concerns on Sunday. There
are details to work out still but the potential for near
critical to critical fire weather conditions Sunday will need to
be monitored.

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