Cessna 172N accident near Phoenix, Arizona, March 9, 2007
On March 9, 2007 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4663D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona (Phx Deer Valley Ap airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent into terrain during landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's distracted attention due to the inaccurate flap indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2007 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phx Deer Valley Ap · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4663D · no longer on the register · serial 17272326
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing at his destination at the end of a cross-country flight. While turning onto final, the airplane was higher than normal and he extended the flaps to 30 degrees. The airplane was not descending normally and he looked at the flap indicator, which showed 20 degrees, although the selector arm was at 30 degrees. The pilot then moved the selector further down, attempting to obtain 30 degrees of flaps. The airplane rapidly slowed, the stall warning horn sounded, and the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot applied full throttle, retracted the flaps, and then the airplane impacted the ground. According to the aircraft recovery personnel, when the flaps were selected, the appropriate flap extension would occur. However, the indicator read 10 degrees off.
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: 144 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUC Tucson AZ
- Destination: DVT Phx Deer Valley AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 25L, 8,208 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.