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The Republic
Wreckage of a missing single-engine plane was found Aug. 13 in Goodyear.The pilot, who was the only person on board, was reported missing Aug. 12, 2025.The National Transportation Safety Board was leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.
Several agencies were investigating a crash scene in Goodyear after the wreckage of a previously missing plane was discovered.
The identity of the pilot was unknown due to the extent of the damage from the wreck, said spokesperson Sgt. Mayra Reeson with the Goodyear Police Department. It was found in the area of Ocotillo Road and Bullard Avenue around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Calbert Gillett.
Goodyear police was previously notified of a missing person case regarding the pilot around 11 a.m. on Aug. 12, Reeson said. According to the report, the person was last seen operating their private, single-engine plane that departed from the Phoenix Goodyear Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert to local public safety agencies, pilots and airports about the missing airplane.
The plane wreckage found was of a Pitts S1-T airplane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Only the pilot was on board, the FAA said in a statement. The Sheriff’s Office has taken primary responsibility for the investigation and was coordinating with the NTSB, Gillett said.
The NTSB sent an investigator to the scene, according to spokesperson Peter Knudson.
After the plane wreckage is documented, it will be moved to “a secure facility for further evaluation,” Knudson said.
The agency investigates three primary areas — the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment, he said. That process will include gathering the flight track data, air traffic control recordings, plane maintenance records and other data, Knudson said.
Investigators will also look into the weather at the time of the crash and any available witness statements, according to Knudson. Anyone with information was encouraged to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov. A preliminary report was expected within the next 30 days, Knudson said.