Cessna 152 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, June 24, 1997
On June 24, 1997 at about 4:04 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N96736, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona (Deer Valley airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The dual student's premature rotation and failure to attain/maintain an adequate airspeed, which lead to a stall/mush and loss of control in-flight, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. A factor in this accident was the flight instructor's lack of total experience as an instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1997 · about 4:04 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Deer Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N96736 · no longer on the register · serial 15286019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was a dual instructional flight with an 11-hour primary student, who was making the takeoff. The flight instructor reported that the student rotated at 50 knots. After they accelerated to 60 knots, the airplane began a roll to the right and aileron control was lost. He stated that the airplane began to sink at approximately 30 to 40 feet above ground level. The flight instructor added full power, but the airplane impacted the ground on the wheels and slid into two parked aircraft, a truck, and other ground structures. The aircraft was examined by an FAA airworthiness inspector and no discrepancies were found with the aircraft or control system. The CFI, who obtained his flight instructor certificate 2 months prior to the accident, had a total of 33 hours as a flight instructor, and 290 total hours.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 156 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 214 as pilot in command; 33 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,802 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 1997; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dgv Holdings INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DVT at 4:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 8,200 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:16 pm from DVT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.