Cessna 172 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, September 12, 2019
On September 12, 2019 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172, registered N796WW, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley 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 directional control during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with runway signs while attempting to maneuver back onto the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2019 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2000 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N796WW · registry record · serial 172S8635
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during takeoff, the airplane drifted left off the runway. He was concerned that the takeoff was unsafe, so he decided to abort the takeoff and landed the airplane in a gravel field adjacent to the runway. He applied the brakes to slow down and attempted to maneuver the airplane back onto the runway. The right main landing gear impacted a runway sign, and the airplane veered right, crossed the runway, impacted a second runway sign, and then came to rest in a gravel field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nosewheel and the right horizontal stabilizer. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- 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
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 35.5 hours in all; 35.5 in this make and model; 35.5 in the last 90 days; 23.1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,240.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 13, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 3,359 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 1:20 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07R, 8,196 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KDVT
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 November 26, 2019. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Damage Photo | 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.