Cessna 172S accident near Sedona, Arizona, October 5, 2014
On October 5, 2014 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2004 Cessna 172S, registered N2179L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the landing roll out.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2014 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2004 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N2179L · no longer on the register · serial 172S9633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was on an extended final for landing. As he got closer to the runway, he noted that he was right of centerline, and made corrections to return to the runway centerline for landing. The pilot indicated that he was still making corrections as he initiated the flare to land. The flare was too high, and as a result, the airplane developed a greater than desired sink rate, which he corrected by adding power. The pilot stated that the landing was firmer than normal, and the airplane bounced before it settled back to the runway. The pilot looked inside the cockpit to retract the flaps and reduce the power to idle. When he looked back outside, the airplane was pointed off the runway. The pilot added right rudder to correct back to the runway. He did not want to add too much rudder and lose airplane control, and when he went to apply the brakes, he noted that his feet were too far down the rudder pedals, so there was no braking action. The airplane departed the runway surface, and traveled onto the grass, toward a ditch. As the airplane traversed through the ditch, the nose landing gear collapsed, the propeller struck the ground, and then the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to right wing, rudder, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the Recommendation (how could this accident/incident have been prevented) section of the accident report, the pilot reported that the flight school has changed their policy, and no longer allows solo students to fly to the accident airport. He further reported that if he had ensured positive aircraft control prior to retracting the flaps, or taking his attention away from the landing, the airplane would not have yawed to the side of the runway.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 403 hours in all; 22 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 15, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,558 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 15, 2014; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 1,296 hours total
- Operator: Northern Arizona Investment Group LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PRC Prescott AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SEZ Sedona AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,132 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 5:57 pm from KFLG, 19 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N2179L 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.