Amateur-built II accident near Glendale, Arizona, June 23, 1985
On June 23, 1985 at about 2:00 pm local time, a amateur-built II, registered N17RM, was destroyed in an accident near Glendale, Arizona (Glendal Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 1985 · about 2:00 pm local time · cases in 1985
- Place
- Glendale, Arizona · Glendal Municipal · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built II
- Registration
- N17RM · registry record · serial 1488
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT CROSSED THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD AND MADE A LEFT TURN FOR A CLOSE IN DOWNWIND. WITNESSES ESTIMATED THAT HE MADE A 180 DEG DESCENDING TURN TO FINAL. WHILE ON FINAL THE PLT OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WAS ALREADY ON FINAL SLIGHTLY AHEADAND SLIGHTLY BELOW HIS ACFT. THE PLT PERFORMED A HARD PULL UP TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT AND ALLOWED HIS ACFT TO STALL WITHOUT SUFFICIENT ALT TO EFFECT RECOVERY BEFORE GROUND IMPACT OCCURRED.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,137 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3,616 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 420 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P37 Glendale AZ at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:00 am
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N17RM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1 8,560 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 466 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,435 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX85LA288.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.