Cessna 172M accident near Havasu Lake, California, July 6, 1986
On July 6, 1986 at about 10:30 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80503, was destroyed in an accident near Havasu Lake, California (Lake Havasu City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. 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
- July 6, 1986 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- Havasu Lake, California · Lake Havasu City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80503 · no longer on the register · serial 17266624
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 2100 PDT ON 7/5/86, THE FLT DEPARTED LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ FOR AN UNKN DESTN. ON THE NEXT MORNING AT APRX 0330, WITNESSES, WHO WERE FISHING ON LAKE HAVASU, HEARD THE ACFT CIRCLE TWICE, THEN CRASH ABOUT 2 MI WEST OF THE ARPT ON THE CALIFORNIA SIDE OF THE LAKE. THE WX WAS CLEAR & IT WAS A DARK NIGHT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A STEEP DSCNT; IT MOVED ONLY ABOUT 20' AFTER IMPACT & THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE & FWD FUSELAGE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PLT & 2 OF THE PAX WERE POSITIVE FOR BENZOYLECGONINE & COCAINE. FOR BENZOYLECGONINE, THE PLT'S BLOOD, LIVER & KIDNEY TISSUE TESTED 0.46 MICROGRAM/MILLILITER, 0.58 MICROGRAM/GRAM & 1.3 MICROGRAMS/GRAM, RESPECTIVELY. FOR COCAINE, HIS LIVER & KIDNEY TISSUE TESTED 0.01 & 0.23 MICROGRAM/GRAM, RESPECTIVE-LY. THE PLT POSSESSED A STUDENT LICENSE THAT HAD EXPIRED. THREE OF THE 4 PAX WERE OCCUPYING THE 2 REAR SEATS.
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
- Flight time: 450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,808 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 27, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LHU Lake Havasu Cty AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 6,434 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:47 am from LAS, 123 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.