Cessna 172Q accident near Prescott, Arizona, March 15, 1988
On March 15, 1988 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172Q, registered N918ER, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prescott, Arizona (Ernest A. Love airport). It was an instructional 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
- March 15, 1988 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Ernest A. Love
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172Q · all 172Qs on the register
- Registration
- N918ER · no longer on the register · serial 17275933
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 87 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 33 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,421 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 8, 1988; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AN4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Embry-Riddle Aero Univ.
The flight
- Departed from: PRC at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PRC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 7,616 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from PRC
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.
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.