One person died in small plane crash southeast of Phoenix, cause is being investigated

The plane is believed to have taken off from the Chandler airport shortly before it crashed into a commercial storage yard.

Published: July 29, 2026 11:22am

A pilot is reportedly dead after the plane he was flying crashed Tuesday night near Chandler Municipal Airport southeast of Phoenix. 

The plane is believed to have taken off from the Chandler airport shortly before it crashed into a commercial storage yard, ABC15 reported

Fire officials received a 911 call reporting a downed aircraft and worked with the Chandler airport tower controller to pinpoint the location of the crash. 

Video of the scene showed the smoldering wreckage of the plane with only the tail section intact. 

 

The pilot, who has not yet been identified, died from his injuries, Chandler fire officials said. The cause of the crash isn't known, but the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Investigators will be at the scene on Wednesday before the plane is moved. 

The plane was a Piper PA-28-180, a single-engine propeller-driven aircraft, according to the NTSB. 

 

 

 

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