Cessna 172H N8034L

Summary

On 29 September 1995 at about 22:20 local time, a Cessna 172H registered N8034L was involved in an accident near St. Johns, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 September 1995 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Johns, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

St. Johns Industrial Air (SJN)

Coordinates

34.5607, -109.3292

Aircraft

Cessna 172H

Registration

N8034L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA344

2 people died.

the pilot's failure to assure that the seat adjustment pin was properly engaged prior to takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Ground witnesses reported the airplane appeared to accelerate normally, but lifted off prematurely in a nose-high attitude. The aiplane began to settle and then appeared to climb momentarily. When the airplane reached the departure end of the runway, it was still maintaining a nose-high attitude and appeared to stall. The airplane's right wing dropped and its nose rotated to a near vertical nose-down attitude before ground impact. The witnesses reported that the engine sounded normal throughout the accident sequence. The wreckage examination revealed that the pilot's seat was jammed in a rearward position and the seat retention pin was disengaged. Cessna Service Letter SEB89-2, dated April 14, 1989, relating to a seat secondary locking device, was not accomplished. The airworthiness directive, 87-20-03, concerning the inspection of the seat rail tracks was complied with about 160 hours before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.