Cessna 172F accident near Safford, Arizona, February 18, 1989
On February 18, 1989 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N8492U, was destroyed in an accident near Safford, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH RESULTING IN AN AERODYNAMIC STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DELAYED USE OF WING FLAPS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1989 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Safford, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8492U · no longer on the register · serial 17252392
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA 172F COLLIDED WITH LEVEL TERRAIN AFTER MAKING SEVERAL LOW PASSES. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE MAKING CLOSED TRAFFIC PATTERNS TO A FIELD LOCATED ADJACENT TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES FLYING LOW OVER THEIR RESIDENCES. ONE HOMEOWNER IDENTIFIED THE ACFT AS HIS BROTHERS. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING SEVERAL LOW PASSES ALIGNED WITH AN OPEN FIELD. THEY ESTIMATED THE ALTITUDE TO BE ABOUT 100 FT AGL. THE SOUND OF SEVERAL ENGINE POWER REDUCTIONS WAS NOTED, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE ACCELERATION. THE ACFT WAS ALIGNED FOR ANOTHER APPROACH WHEN THE 'ENGINE NOISE WAS CUT.' THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED PITCHING DOWNWARD ABRUPTLY. THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. A FIRE ERUPTED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS CONSUMED IN FLAMES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE ACFT WING FLAPS WERE DETERMINED TO BE IN A 5 DEGREE TRANSITORY POSITION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
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: 200 hours in all; 180 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: P33 Willcox AZ at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.