Cessna 172P accident near Glendale, Arizona, August 28, 1983
On August 28, 1983 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N62038, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glendale, Arizona (Glendale Municipal 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 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 28, 1983 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Glendale, Arizona · Glendale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N62038 · no longer on the register · serial 17275201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT & HIS INSTRUCTOR PLT HAD MADE 2 TAKEOFFS & LANDINGS, THEN THE INSTRUCTOR DEPLANED & THE STUDENT PREPARED TO TAKEOFF ON A SOLO FLT. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT, HE MADE THE PRETAKEOFF CHECKS, WHICH INCLUDED SETTING THE TRIM. AS THE ACFT ACCELERATED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE CONTROL YOKE CAME AFT WITH ENOUGH PRESSURE THAT, ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT, HE 'COULD NOT FORCE IT FORWARD.' THE NOSE STARTED TO RISE ABRUPTLY, SO THE STUDENT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY, & SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A DIRT BANK. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-ACCIDENT, MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 755 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 24, 1983; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,407 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Semper Flight INC., Flt. Tech.
The flight
- Departed from: P37 Glendale AZ at 1:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from PHX, 13 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N62038 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.