Cessna 172P accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, August 14, 1994
On August 14, 1994 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N98909, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudging the flare altitude and failing to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall and hard landing. The pilot's lack of total time in the airplane is a factor in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1994 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98909 · no longer on the register · serial 17276377
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE FLARE ALTITUDE DURING LANDING AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND SUSTAINED A HARD LANDING. THE PILOT HAD ACCRUED 1.5 HOURS IN THE AIRCRAFT MAKE AND MODEL.
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: 65 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,784 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 16, 1994; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sawyer Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 8,251 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 am from SDL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N98909 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.