Cessna 172N accident near Payson, Arizona, November 2, 1997
On November 2, 1997 at about 3:06 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6585D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Payson, Arizona (Payson 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 selection of a downwind direction to land and his failure to compensate for the quartering tailwind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 1997 · about 3:06 pm local time
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · Payson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6585D · no longer on the register · serial 17272878
- 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 he had turned final for runway 24 and noticed he was a little high and hot. He said he compensated for it by lowering the nose and adding 5 additional degrees of flaps. Although the airspeed remained constant at 80 knots, he realized quickly that he was still high and fast so he entered a slip to increase the rate of descent. The pilot stated that he felt he could extend his landing even if he touched down past midpoint and decided not to go-around. He estimated that he hit the ground at 58 to 60 knots when he encountered a strong crosswind from the left, which pushed him off the runway. The aircraft subsequently came to rest against several trees. The airport manager stated that he heard the airplane touch down and 'it sounded very fast' so he looked up and saw the airplane rolling down the runway at a very fast rate of speed. The aircraft then departed the runway and collided with trees. In his written statement, the pilot reported the winds at the airport as 110 degrees at 5 knots. The winds at the closest aviation weather reporting station were 160 degrees at 7 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 190 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 2:15 pm
- Destination: E69
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from PRC, 57 miles away
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.