Cessna 172S accident near Show Low, Arizona, September 18, 2005
On September 18, 2005 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N121CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Show Low, Arizona (Show Low airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's selection of a downwind runway for landing and his inadequate compensation for the strong and gusty quartering tail wind conditions, which resulted in a tail strike during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2005 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Show Low, Arizona · Show Low · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N121CW · registry record · serial 172S8975
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the airplane's tail impacted the ground and resulted in substantial damage to the base of the rudder and the right elevator. The pilot obtained the weather information from an airport located about 12 nautical miles southeast of the accident airport. The winds were reported from 130 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 knots. After an attempted landing for runway 03, the pilot performed a go-around and entered the landing pattern for runway 06. The pilot said he thought the windsock indicated favorable winds for landing runway 06. The approach to land was normal and the pilot flared the airplane, touching down on the right main gear first, and then the airplane bounced. The pilot said the airplane was suddenly pushed aside, to the north end of the runway and the tail section impacted the ground. The airplane settled to the ground momentarily before the pilot was able to perform the go-around and land uneventfully on runway 24. Post accident examination revealed that the right elevator was jammed. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the airplane prior to the accident. An automated weather observation system (AWOS) for Show Low reported the following weather information 10 minutes following the accident: wind from 230 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 26 knots. Ten minutes prior to the accident, the winds were reported from 200 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Westwind Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Destination: SOW Show Low AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 060, 7,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 5:10 pm from SOW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N121CW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX05CA302.