Cessna 175A accident near Polacca, Arizona, June 12, 2009
On June 12, 2009 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 175A, registered N7979T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Polacca, Arizona. 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 failure to adequately estimate the required distance to avoid obstructions while taking off from a road.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2009 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Polacca, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175A · all 175As on the register
- Registration
- N7979T · registry record · serial 56679
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After making a precautionary landing on a two-lane highway and adding oil to the airplane’s engine, the pilot attempted to take off from the highway. The local police provided vehicle traffic control and blocked off the amount of highway the pilot estimated that he would need for the takeoff. According to the pilot’s report, he was reaching takeoff speed when he realized that he would not be airborne in time to clear a police vehicle. He altered his takeoff ground roll to the right in an attempt to avoid the vehicle. The right wing of the airplane impacted a highway sign, and the airplane continued off the highway to the right and down an embankment. It nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in structural damage to the wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or its engine during the takeoff attempt.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Takeoff distance › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 460 hours in all; 48 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 24, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,387 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2008; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor GO-300 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P23 Seligman AZ at 10:35 am
- Destination: KSKX Taos NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.