Cessna 172RG accident near Buckeye, Arizona, March 16, 1991
On March 16, 1991 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N6439, was destroyed in an accident near Buckeye, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE EXCEEDING THE CERTIFICATED NEVER EXCEED VELOCITY. THE OVERLOADING OF THE WING ATTACHMENT FITTINGS WHILE MANEUVERING WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1991 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Buckeye, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N6439 · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0700
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TWO PILOTS RETURNED TO THE AREA WHERE THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY OBTAINED THEIR PILOT TRAINING AND RENTED THE CESSNA 172RG TO REVISIT THE TRAINING AREAS. THE AIRPLANE'S WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN A SEMI-REMOTE AREA, STREWN OVER A HALF MILE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECAKAGE DISCLOSED THE LEFT WING'S WING-TO-FUSELAGE ATTACH FITTING SEPARATED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. THE FRACTURE SURFACES DISPLAYED POSITIVE OVERLOAD CHARACTERISTICS. THE UPPER CABIN SECTION AND RIGHT WING BROKE UP AFTER BEING STRUCK BY THE LEFT WING DURING THE INFLIGHT BREAKUP. WEATHER STUDIES REVEALED THAT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE AIRPLANE IS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR AEROBATIC FLIGHT.
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: 1,120 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days; 150 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,157 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 26, 1990; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O360F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: California Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: GEU Glendale AZ at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:30 pm from BXK, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.