Cessna 172S accident near Chandler, Arizona, November 5, 2004
On November 5, 2004 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N20519, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona (Stellar Airpark 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 pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were his improper recovery from the subsequent bounced landing and pilot-induced oscillations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2004 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Stellar Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N20519 · registry record · serial 172S9576
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the solo instructional flight, the student pilot landed hard, which resulted in deformation of the airplane's firewall. A witness observed the pilot's landing and reported that following the first touchdown, three additional pilot-induced oscillations occurred. During this event engine power increased, and the elevator moved up and down. On the third bounce, the witness heard the airplane's propeller impact the runway. The student pilot, who had about 2.2 hours of total solo flying experience, did not report any mechanical malfunction with the airplane during the accident flight.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 48 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Angel Air, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: P19 Chandler AZ at 2:30 pm
- Destination: P19 Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.