Cessna 172K accident near Springerville, Arizona, November 15, 1994
On November 15, 1994 at about 2:38 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N7178G, was destroyed in an accident near Springerville, Arizona. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. The pilot's diverted attention and overconfidence in the aircraft's ability to fly slow were factors in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1994 · about 2:38 pm local time
- Place
- Springerville, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7178G · no longer on the register · serial 17258878
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A LOCAL VISUAL FLIGHT RULES ELK/DEER SCOUTING FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A STOL KIT, WHICH ALLOWS THE AIRCRAFT TO BE FLOWN AT A SLOWER AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHILE IN A RIGHT TURN SPIN. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING AIRFRAME OR ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.
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: 355 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 330 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,733 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 1994; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-ED2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.