Cessna 172F N8492U
18 February 1989 · Safford, Arizona, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 18 February 1989 at about 20:45 local time, a Cessna 172F registered N8492U, operated by Copper Penny Office Supply, was involved in an accident near Safford, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Safford, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.8100, -109.3605
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F
- Registration
- N8492U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Copper Penny Office Supply
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Willcox → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX89FA113
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH RESULTING IN AN AERODYNAMIC STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DELAYED USE OF WING FLAPS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A CESSNA 172F COLLIDED WITH LEVEL TERRAIN AFTER MAKING SEVERAL LOW PASSES. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE MAKING CLOSED TRAFFIC PATTERNS TO A FIELD LOCATED ADJACENT TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES FLYING LOW OVER THEIR RESIDENCES. ONE HOMEOWNER IDENTIFIED THE ACFT AS HIS BROTHERS. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING SEVERAL LOW PASSES ALIGNED WITH AN OPEN FIELD. THEY ESTIMATED THE ALTITUDE TO BE ABOUT 100 FT AGL. THE SOUND OF SEVERAL ENGINE POWER REDUCTIONS WAS NOTED, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE ACCELERATION. THE ACFT WAS ALIGNED FOR ANOTHER APPROACH WHEN THE 'ENGINE NOISE WAS CUT.' THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED PITCHING DOWNWARD ABRUPTLY. THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. A FIRE ERUPTED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS CONSUMED IN FLAMES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE ACFT WING FLAPS WERE DETERMINED TO BE IN A 5 DEGREE TRANSITORY POSITION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Mar 1989 | Cessna 172M | Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Mar 1989 | Cessna 172H | Melbourne, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Jan 1989 | Cessna 172 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Nov 1989 | Cessna 172 | Bremerton, Washington, United States | Flight Tech, Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 1989 | Cessna 172P | Superior, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jan 1989 | Cessna 172 | Longmont, Colorado, United States | Denver Air Center | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1989 | Cessna 180 | Flagstaff, Arizona, United States | George Thomas | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 1989 | Cessna 152 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Button Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 1989 | Robinson R22 | Scottsdale, Arizona, United States | Arizona Wing and Rotor | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1989 | Roger Nelson AERONICA/T | Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1989 | Hiller UH-12E | Yuma, Arizona, United States | West Farm Air Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 1989 | Rand Engineering KR-II | Eloy, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |