Cessna 172L accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, April 7, 2007
On April 7, 2007 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N1079M, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas airport). It was an instructional 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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2007 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- North Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1079M · registry record · serial 17259802
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power when the 31-hour student pilot turned the airplane from downwind to base, and the pilot force-landed the airplane on a street. During the emergency landing, the left wing impacted a street sign and damaged the spar. The engine was test-run following the accident and no operational anomalies were noted.
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: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: West Air Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12L, 4,202 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.67 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KVGT
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 N1079M 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.