Grob-Werke G 120A accident near Mobile, Arizona, September 10, 2012
On September 10, 2012 at about 4:10 pm local time, a Grob-Werke G 120A, registered N863AF, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Mobile, Arizona (Mobile 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll and the subsequent aborted takeoff in a gusting crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2012 · about 4:10 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Mobile, Arizona · Mobile · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grob-Werke G 120A
- Registration
- N863AF · registry record · serial 85003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot, who had just completed a full-stop landing and taxied back to the approach end of the runway, started the takeoff roll with a right quartering headwind of about 8 knots. Just as he prepared to takeoff, a wind gust lifted the right wing and the airplane yawed to the left. Although the student applied right aileron and rudder to correct for the gust, the airplane continued toward the left edge of the runway. The student decided to abort the takeoff, reduce the power to idle, and apply the brakes. However, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and collided with a bush, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. According to the pilot and the operator, there was no indication of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 53 hours in all; 52 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4D5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: International Pilot School
The flight
- Departed from: KGYR Mobile AZ at 4:10 pm
- Destination: KGYR Mobile AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°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
1 document, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2012. 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 |
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
- N863AF on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grob-Werke 9 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4D5 434 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Phoenix Goodyear Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 468 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,431 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR12CA412.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.