Cessna 172A accident near Coolidge, Arizona, October 23, 2008
On October 23, 2008 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172A, registered N7822T, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Coolidge, Arizona (Sarita 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
A total loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel system. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2008 · about 9:15 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Coolidge, Arizona · Sarita · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172A · all 172As on the register
- Registration
- N7822T · no longer on the register · serial 47422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during initial climb at 300 feet above ground level. The pilot attempted to restart the engine to no avail, reversed course, and descended into the ground short of the departure runway. The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate, and he owned and maintained the airplane. During the subsequent examination of the airplane, water was found in the fuel strainer and carburetor. Also, several maintenance-related discrepancies were observed, including frayed electrical cords in the cockpit, missing placards, a finger-tight fuel line, and hornets' nests in the empennage and the horizontal stabilizer.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › (general) › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,088 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 31, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,907 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 2008; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklyn 6A350C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 37AZ Coolidge AZ at 9:14 pm
- Destination: CGZ Casa Grande AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,800 ft by 80 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from CGZ, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Airplane Maintenance Records (Extract) | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7822T: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Franklyn 6A350C1 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Sarita Airport · nearest airport
- Casa Grande Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,983 since 1982 · 466 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,422 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA021.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.