Cessna 172 accident near Mesa, Arizona, November 7, 2015
On November 7, 2015 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2006 Cessna 172, registered N1107G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during landing, resulting in a porpoise, and firewall damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2015 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2006 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1107G · registry record · serial 172S10303
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight instructor, who witnessed the landing sequence, reported that upon touchdown, the airplane porpoised three times. He reported that the pilot aborted the landing, the airplane climbed to approximately 50 feet above ground level, and then the airplane landed on the remaining runway without further incident. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector, who spoke with the pilot, stated that the pilot reported that the airplane was "not stable" during the approach and that he should have aborted the landing. The pilot also reported that the crosswind condition "complicated his final approach," which was "too high." The airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 398 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: November 6, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,837.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 2, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 2,837 hours total
- Operator: Falcon Executive Aviation INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04R, 5,101 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:47 pm from KFFZ, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photograph (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1107G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.