Cessna 172N accident near Buckeye, Arizona, August 18, 1982
On August 18, 1982 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733QE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buckeye, Arizona (Holly Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1982 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Buckeye, Arizona · Holly Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733QE · no longer on the register · serial 17268459
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON A FLIGHT TO A PRIVATE DIRT STRIP. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, THE SUN WAS IN HIS EYES AND HE DID NOT SEE A 3 FT HIGH MOUND OF DIRT NEAR THE THRESHOLD. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR HIT THE DIRT AND SHEARED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT INTO A CONCRETE DITCH.
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: 163 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 133 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,003 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YUM Yuma AZ at 5:15 pm
- Destination: LGB Long Beach CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,740 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 223°F (106°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.