Cessna 172 accident near Goodyear, Arizona, July 4, 1997
On July 4, 1997 at about 2:09 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7359A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goodyear, Arizona (Goodyear 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's inadequate compensation for the existing crosswind condition, and his resultant failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1997 · about 2:09 pm local time
- Place
- Goodyear, Arizona · Goodyear · 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
- N7359A · no longer on the register · serial 29459
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the landing, the aircraft ballooned slightly to about 10 feet above the surface. He reported that he then added power and attempted to lower the aircraft down to the runway surface. The pilot said that at approximately 5 feet above the ground, the left wing lost lift and dropped. The aircraft then turned left and veered off the runway. The weather observation taken at the airport at the time of the accident was reporting winds from 250 degrees at 8 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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, military, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,138 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,126 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E55 Buckeye AZ at 1:30 pm
- Destination: GYR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 8,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:25 pm from GYR
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.
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.