Cessna 172 accident near Sedona, Arizona, April 6, 1996
On April 6, 1996 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N62038, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona 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 misjudged the flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1996 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N62038 · no longer on the register · serial 172-25201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he encountered a dust devil when he flared the airplane for landing. He applied power, but the left wing and nose dropped and contacted the runway. A ground witness said that the airplane's left wing dropped when the pilot flared the airplane, but he did not report any dust devil activity in the area. He said that the surface winds were less than 5 knots. The AWOS reported the surface winds at 6 knots, gusting to 15 knots.
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: 433 hours in all; 377 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 433 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,223 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 1996; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,407 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 4:25 pm
- Destination: SEZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:21 pm from SEZ
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 N62038 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.