Cessna 172P accident near Mesa, Arizona, November 20, 1996
On November 20, 1996 at about 10:56 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N26FR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field). It was a personal 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 pilot's misjudged landing flare and improper bounced landing recovery technique, which led to an inadvertent porpoise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 1996 · about 10:56 pm local time · cases in 1996
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N26FR · registry record · serial 17275776
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
the pilot landed hard on the nose wheel then porpoised up and allowed the aircraft to settle by itself and roll off the runway. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident and that weather was not a factor.
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: 100 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 51 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 1996; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ at 10:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22R, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N26FR on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,691 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J 96 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Falcon Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 467 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,436 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX97LA048.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.