Cessna 172N accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, April 15, 1993
On April 15, 1993 at about 9:52 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N3443E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona (Flagstaff Pulliam 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 PILOT'S POOR AIRCRAFT HANDLING TECHNIQUES, HIS FAILURE TO CORRECTLY CONFIGURE THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL DURING THE GO AROUND, AND, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL MUSH CONDITION. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LOW TOTAL EXPERIENCE AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1993 · about 9:52 pm local time
- Place
- Flagstaff, Arizona · Flagstaff Pulliam · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3443E · no longer on the register · serial 17271542
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ON DUTY IN THE TOWER CAB, THE AIRCRAFT MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21, EACH TIME FLARING ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO AROUND FOLLOWING EACH ABORTED LANDING ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND GO AROUND, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE LOW AND SLOW, AND, DURING A LEFT TURN, DESCENDED AND COLLIDED WITH TREES ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE OFFICIAL AIRPORT WEATHER OBSERVATION WAS REPORTING WINDS FROM 290 DEGREES AT SIX KNOTS DURING THE ACCIDENT TIME FRAME, WITH NO UNUSUAL METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA NOTED EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. IN HIS STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT GUSTING CROSS WINDS BLEW HIM AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY DURING EACH LANDING ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND GO AROUND, THE PILOT SAID THAT A DOWNDRAFT PUSHED HIM INTO THE TREES AFTER HE HAD DRIFTED LEFT OVER THE WOODS. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE LEFT THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN THE ON POSITION DURING THE SECOND GO AROUND. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 8,700 FEET.
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: 150 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Konski Air
The flight
- Departed from: PGA Page AZ at 6:37 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:49 pm from FLG, 1 miles away
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.