Cessna 177 accident near Chinle, Arizona, April 16, 1985
On April 16, 1985 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N1217M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chinle, Arizona (Chinle airport). It was a business 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1985 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chinle, Arizona · Chinle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N1217M · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 17. THE WINDS WERE FORM 220 DEGREES GUSTING TO 30-35 KNOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT, AS HE CAME BY A QUONSET HANGAR, THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE RIGHT FRONT QUARTER. THE AIRCRAFT WEATHER-VANED INTO THE WIND AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE TURN. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT AND FOLDED UP.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,082 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 2,926 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,400 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TBC Tuba City AZ at 9:40 pm
- Destination: Q32 Chinle AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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 LAX85LA207.