Piper PA-28 accident near Williams, Arizona, August 26, 1989
On August 26, 1989 at about 1:10 am local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N7172R, was destroyed in an accident near Williams, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN HIS VISUAL LOOKOUT AND FLYING LOW. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ONE INCH DIAMETER TELEPHONE CABLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1989 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Williams, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N7172R · no longer on the register · serial 28-21882
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS FLYING LOW PARALLELING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. SEVERAL OF THE PILOT'S EMPLOYEES WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT THE TIME AND SAW THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A ONE INCH DIAMETER TELEPHONE CABLE THAT TRAVERSED THE HIGHWAY BRINGING DOWN THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT'S EMPLOYEES BELIEVED HE DID NOT SEE THE CABLE.
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: 855 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,751 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1989; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ
- Destination: L26 Hesperia CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.