Cessna 172G accident near Kingman, Arizona, November 23, 1984
On November 23, 1984 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N3698L, was destroyed in an accident near Kingman, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 23, 1984 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kingman, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3698L · no longer on the register · serial 17253867
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE FACE OF A SHEAR CLIFF ABOUT 30 FEET BELOW ITS CREST. IT IMPACTED WITH THE LEFT WING 15 DEGS DOWN AND WITH THE NOSE UP AT ABOUT 5 DEGS. IMPACT OCCURRED AT 3500 FT MSL. LOCAL AUTHORITIES INDICATED THAT THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT CONSISTED OF LOW CLOUDS AND EXTREMELY POOR GROUND VISIBILITY WITH RAIN. THE WX FORCAST INDICATED IMC WITH LOW CEILINGS & VISIBILITIES AND MOUNTAIN TOPS OBSCURED ALONG THE ROUTE. DURING A WX BRIEFING, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 55 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VGT Las Vegas NV at 3:39 pm
- Destination: P16 Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.