Cessna 172M accident near Springerville, Arizona, February 27, 1986
On February 27, 1986 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N61572, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springerville, Arizona (Springerville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- February 27, 1986 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Springerville, Arizona · Springerville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N61572 · registry record · serial 17264649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 172M EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND COLLIDED WITH ROUGH TERRAIN ON LANDING. THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS CRUISING AT 9500 FEET MSL (1500 TO 2000 FEET AGL) WITH AN OAT OF 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE CARB HEAT HANDLE WAS IN THE 'OFF' POSITION WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. HE THEN PULLED THE CARB HEAT HANDLE OUT (ON) AND THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHER. THE CARB HEAT WAS PUSHED IN (OFF) AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH AND EVENTUALLY QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED IN CONDITIONS PREVALENT TO FUEL VAPORIZATION ICE IN THE INDUCTION SYSTEM. A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY LOCATED 45NM TO THE NW REPORTED A TEMPERATURE-DEWPOINT SPREAD OF 25 DEGREES WHICH RELATES TO A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF APPROXIMATELY 40% AND IN THE POTENTIAL AREA FOR CARB ICE. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL STATES, 'TO CLEAR THE ICE, APPLY FULL THROTTLE AND PULL THE CARB HEAT KNOB FULL OUT UNTIL THE ENGINE RUNS SMOOTHLY; AND THEN REMOVE CARB HEAT AND READJUST THE THROTTLE.
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: 329 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 280 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,789 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 14, 1986; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 3:45 pm
- Destination: Q35 Springerville AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from SOW, 45 miles away
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.