Cessna 172H accident near St. Johns, Arizona, September 29, 1995
On September 29, 1995 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N8034L, was destroyed in an accident near St. Johns, Arizona (St. Johns Industrial Air airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to assure that the seat adjustment pin was properly engaged prior to takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 1995 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- St. Johns, Arizona · St. Johns Industrial Air · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8034L · registry record · serial 17256234
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Ground witnesses reported the airplane appeared to accelerate normally, but lifted off prematurely in a nose-high attitude. The aiplane began to settle and then appeared to climb momentarily. When the airplane reached the departure end of the runway, it was still maintaining a nose-high attitude and appeared to stall. The airplane's right wing dropped and its nose rotated to a near vertical nose-down attitude before ground impact. The witnesses reported that the engine sounded normal throughout the accident sequence. The wreckage examination revealed that the pilot's seat was jammed in a rearward position and the seat retention pin was disengaged. Cessna Service Letter SEB89-2, dated April 14, 1989, relating to a seat secondary locking device, was not accomplished. The airworthiness directive, 87-20-03, concerning the inspection of the seat rail tracks was complied with about 160 hours before the accident.
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: 92 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,585 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 8, 1995; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJN
- Destination: RYN Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 3,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 21 knots, gusting 37
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°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.