Cessna 172 accident near Glendale, Arizona, May 4, 2018
On May 4, 2018 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1985 Cessna 172, registered N99141, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Glendale, Arizona (Glendale Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain runway alignment during takeoff, which resulted in an aborted takeoff and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2018 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Glendale, Arizona · Glendale Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1985 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N99141 · registry record · serial 17276409
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during takeoff, the solo student pilot realized he had a crosswind from the right and applied right aileron and right rudder. He added that, as the student rotated the airplane, it drifted left. The student then lost airplane control, pulled the engine power to idle, and aborted the takeoff. Subsequently, during touchdown, the airplane veered hard to the left and exited the runway, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm. The student pilot was departing from runway 1.
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
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 65.9 hours in all; 55.2 in the last 90 days; 19.2 in the last 30 days; 11.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 11, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GEU Glendale AZ at 6:30 pm
- Destination: GEU Glendale AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 7,150 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KGEU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2018. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | 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.
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.