Cessna 172N accident near Winslow, Arizona, December 5, 1995
On December 5, 1995 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739LD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winslow, Arizona (Winslow Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's use of an excessive airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in a hard landing, a porpoise, and a collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1995 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winslow, Arizona · Winslow Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739LD · registry record · serial 17270620
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND DIVERTED FROM THE PLANNED DESTINATION TO A CLOSER AIRPORT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED FLAP SYSTEM DURING THE LANDING APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN FAST, BOUNCED, AND LANDED HARD COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED A LOOSE CONNECTION IN THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR WIRING HARNESS WHICH PREVENTED THE ALTERNATOR FROM CHARGING THE BATTERY.
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: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,004 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 27, 1995; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRC Prescott AZ at 2:30 pm
- Destination: GUP Gallup NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 4, 7,498 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.