Cessna 172 and Cessna 172N mid-air collision near Prescott, Arizona, March 31, 1992
On March 31, 1992 at about 3:16 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172 (N250ER) and Cessna 172N (N267ER), were involved in a mid-air collision near Prescott, Arizona (Ernest A. Love Field). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S POOR SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT; THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S MISIDENTIFICATION OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S POOR VISUAL LOOKOUT. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE SOFT, ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN.
THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S POOR SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT; THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S MISIDENTIFICATION OF THE AIRPLANE THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FOLLOWING AND THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S POOR VISUAL LOOKOUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1992 · about 3:16 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Ernest A. Love Field · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N250ER · no longer on the register · serial 17270499
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N267ER · no longer on the register · serial 1727056D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172 final · quoted from the NTSB record
BOTH AIRPLANES WERE IN THE TOWER CONTROLLED TRAFFIC PATTERN; ONE AIRPLANE WAS ON A LEFT DOWNWIND WITH A CFI, DUAL STUDENT, AND A STUDENT PILOT/OBSERVER OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT; THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND AND WAS BEING FLOWN BY A SOLO STUDENT PILOT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AIRPLANE TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S LEFT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT AIRPLANE'S ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE, BUT BOTH PILOTS MISIDENTIFIED THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE AND BEGAN FOLLOWING THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF AND TO THE LEFT OF THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. AFTER THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT TO LAND HE THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT FOLLOWED THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF THE SOLO STUDENT AND BEGAN TO TURN ONTO THE FINAL APPROACH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE DESCENDED ONTO THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE SOLO STUDENT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CFI IN THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN THE OPEN DESERT TERRAIN, BUT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172N final · quoted from the NTSB record
BOTH AIRPLANES WERE IN THE TOWER CONTROLLED TRAFFIC PATTERN; ONE AIRPLANE WAS ON A LEFT DOWNWIND WITH A CFI, DUAL STUDENT, AND A STUDENT PILOT/OBSERVER OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT; THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND AND WAS BEING FLOWN BY A SOLO STUDENT PILOT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AIRPLANE TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S LEFT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT AIRPLANE'S ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE, BUT BOTH PILOTS MISIDENTIFIED THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE AND BEGAN FOLLOWING THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF AND TO THE LEFT OF THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. AFTER THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT TO LAND HE THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT FOLLOWED THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF THE SOLO STUDENT AND BEGAN TO TURN ONTO THE FINAL APPROACH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE DESCENDED ONTO THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE SOLO STUDENT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CFI IN THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN THE OPEN DESERT TERRAIN, BUT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
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 for the Cessna 172 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,515 as pilot in command; 1,130 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,448 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 17, 1992; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 7,601 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:16 pm from PRC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 172N from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 61 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,736 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 16, 1992; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 7,616 ft by 150 ft
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.