Cessna 172P accident near Glendale, Arizona, August 15, 1985
On August 15, 1985 at about 1:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65748, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glendale, Arizona (Glendale Municipal airport). It was a personal 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 15, 1985 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Glendale, Arizona · Glendale Municipal
- 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
- N65748 · no longer on the register · serial 17275853
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT RAN OFF THE RWY AND INTO A DITCH AFTER A LANDING AT GLENDALE, AZ. THE RWY IS 2400 FT LONG AND 50 FT WIDE. THE PLT STATED HE LANDED ABOUT 40% DOWN THE RWY, BOUNCED THREE TIMES, STEERED OFF THE RWY AND HIT A SHALLOW DITCH. THE PLT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: 293 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 225 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 1985; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sunburst Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 1:35 pm
- Destination: BXK Bullhead City AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:46 pm from PHX, 14 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 N65748 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.