Cessna 188 accident near Eloy, Arizona, August 15, 1997
On August 15, 1997 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N9957J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eloy, Arizona (Eloy Municipal airport). 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control due to inadequate rudder use.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1997 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eloy, Arizona · Eloy Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N9957J · no longer on the register · serial 18803886T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he had been out practicing steep turns, banks, and stalls prior to conducting five to six low approaches over the runway. On his first landing attempt he set the aircraft up at 75 mph with flaps 20 degrees, and touched down just past the runway numbers. The pilot said the airplane bounced back in the air so he lowered the nose. He stated the aircraft stalled and contacted the runway. He was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft with the rudder and the airplane veered to the right. The pilot said he applied left rudder and brakes and the airplane skidded into an 180-degree turn. The main landing gear sheered off during the skidding turn.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 640 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,041 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1997; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E60 AZ at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 3,900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from TUS, 53 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9957J 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.