Cessna 172 accident near Mohave Valley, Arizona, December 12, 1995
On December 12, 1995 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8987V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mohave Valley, Arizona (Eagle Airpark 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 failure of the pilot to assure that clearance was maintained while taxiing in proximity of buildings at an excessive taxi speed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1995 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mohave Valley, Arizona · Eagle Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8987V · registry record · serial 17264343
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taxiing in at completion of his fourth solo flight. He said he was taxiing too fast as he approached the ramp area. When he realized that wing tip clearance was questionable he applied wheel brakes but the right wingtip impacted a hangar and pivoted the aircraft to the right. When he applied engine power in an effort to straighten out the aircraft the nose pivoted to the right even faster and the propeller cut through the hangar door. There were no mechanical problems.
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: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,097 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 21, 1995; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AO9 at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,400 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.