Cessna 172 accident near Lake Havasu, Arizona, June 30, 1992
On June 30, 1992 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6496E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Havasu, Arizona (Lake Havasu airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS AND TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1992 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Lake Havasu, Arizona · Lake Havasu · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6496E · no longer on the register · serial 46596
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A 'WIND SHEAR' DURING THE LANDING FLARE ON RUNWAY 14. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD, HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND RAN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE EMBANKMENT OF A LARGE DRAINAGE SWALE ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 735 hours in all; 417 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,587 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 29, 1992; 128 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Havasu Flyers Club, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 106°F (41°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.