Cessna 172N accident near Roosevelt, Arizona, May 31, 1994
On May 31, 1994 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6305J, was destroyed in an accident near Roosevelt, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's selection of an inadequate terrain clearance altitude while maneuvering over a lake. A factor in the accident was the calm glassy water conditions which may have affected the pilot's perception of his actual height above the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1994 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Roosevelt, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6305J · no longer on the register · serial 17273859
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he made a low pass over a private airstrip next to a lake, but does not remember the accident sequence. Witnesses in boats stated that the aircraft made a low pass over the airstrip, then flew out over the lake surface at an agl altitude estimated at 50 feet. The aircraft flew for about a mile over the water, then was observed to begin a turn. The left wing tip contacted the water and the aircraft cartwheeled into the lake. One witness was an FAA airframe and powerplant mechanic who works on general aviation aircraft. He reported that the engine sounded strong and normal during the accident sequence from the time the aircraft left the airstrip until it crashed into the lake. The airframe wreckage was recovered from the lake and examined. Control system continuity was established. The engine separated from the airframe during the impact sequence and was not recovered. The witnesses stated that the lake surface was glassy smooth.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 502 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 422 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,497 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 19, 1994; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Venture Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: P10 Chandler AZ at 2:45 pm
- Destination: P10
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.