Rockwell International 112A accident near Phoenix, Arizona, October 12, 2016
On October 12, 2016 at about 5:11 pm local time, a 1975 Rockwell International 112A, registered N509CA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A catastrophic engine failure due to lack of lubrication due to the absence of 2 piston cooling nozzles that backed out of their respective threaded bores, which resulted in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2016 · about 5:11 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International 112A A, built 1975 · all 112As on the register
- Registration
- N509CA · no longer on the register · serial 409
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to air traffic control transcripts, about 17 minutes after the private pilot departed for a personal, cross-country flight and immediately after being cleared to climb to 10,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the pilot advised an air traffic controller that the engine oil temperature was “running a little hot” and that he needed to level off at 7,500 ft msl to “cool off.” About 7 minutes later, the pilot repeated that the engine temperature was running high and requested a return to the departure airport but stated that he did not want to declare an emergency. The controller provided the pilot with information for an airport closer to the airplane’s position for a diversionary landing. Although a controller at that airport issued the pilot a straight-in approach, the pilot responded that the engine had lost power and that he was going to have to land because the airplane could not reach the airport. Subsequently, the pilot attempted to conduct a forced landing on a nearby road, but the airplane impacted terrain in a train yard and came to rest between trees and a wooden structure substantially damaging the airframe and wings. During a postaccident examination of the engine, a hole was found in the engine case at the No. 4 cylinder, and metal debris was found throughout the engine, indicative of a catastrophic engine failure. The No. 4 connecting rod bearing had extruded and exhibited signatures consistent with a lack of lubrication, which likely led to the catastrophic engine failure. The Nos 2 and 4 piston cooling nozzles were absent from their respective threaded bore in the crankcase; they were identified in the oil sump and had sustained destructive damage as a result of passage through the engines internal rotating components. The threaded nozzle bores for the Nos 2 and 4 piston cooling nozzles were not damaged. The No. 1 cooling nozzle remained tight and in place, and the No. 3 cooling nozzle remained in place, but was loose and rotated a quarter of a turn before it became tight. It is likely that the absence of the Nos 2 and 4 piston cooling nozzles would have an effect on the engine lubricating oil effectiveness to the internal rotating components of the engine during operation.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sho CO Kids LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Destination: HII Lake Havasu City AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DVT, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR17LA004.