Cessna 152 accident near Payson, Arizona, May 27, 1997
On May 27, 1997 at about 7:45 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757HE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Payson, Arizona (Payson airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an animal (elk) on the runway. Factors associated with the accident included: darkness, the pilot's inability to see the animal in sufficient time to avoid a collision, and the lack of a taller fence around the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1997 · about 7:45 am local time
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · Payson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757HE · registry record · serial 15279746
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a night instructional flight, the flight instructor (CFI) had the student pilot divert to the Payson Airport. During the landing roll, an elk ran directly in front of the aircraft, and the pilots could not avoid hitting the animal. The airport had two previous occurrences of aircraft colliding with elk at night. The airport perimeter fence was 5 feet in height. The City Manager of Payson stated that the city had recently accepted a grant offer to begin the biding process and subsequent construction of an 8-foot wall around the airport property. He hoped to have the fence in place by the end of the calendar year.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,116 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 16, 1997; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Venture Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ at 6:15 am
- Destination: E69
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.