NTSB: Small plane ran into bad weather before Arizona crash

A small plane ran into heavy rain and gusty winds before it crashed in a remote area of northwestern Arizona last month, killing both people aboard, federal investigators said Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary report on the Sept. 13 crash of a single-engine Piper PA-46-310P but didn’t determine a cause yet.

The plane was headed to Henderson, Nevada when it went off the radar in a remote area of Seligman, which is between Kingman and Flagstaff.

The NTSB report said weather in the area during the timeframe of the accident was reported as moderate to heavy precipitation.

Investigators said the plane made a 270-degree left turn, follow by a steep descending right turn before the flight track data ended.

An uninvolved airplane in the accident area reported “serious moderate turbulence” and security video showed heavy rain and gusty wind conditions at the time of the crash, according to the NTSB report.

An examination of the accident site revealed that a debris field about 2 miles long with sections of both wings strewn along the desert terrain.

The NTSB said the plane’s left flap and rudder weren’t located after the crash.