Cessna 172S accident near Phoenix, Arizona, June 26, 2018
On June 26, 2018 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172S, registered N154ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to crankshaft failure as the result of a subsurface fatigue crack.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2018 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S S, built 2000 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N154ME · no longer on the register · serial 172S8534
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While maneuvering during a local instructional flight, the engine began running rough, and the instructor decided to return to the airport. The engine subsequently lost total power and the propeller stopped rotating. The instructor performed a forced landing to a clearing where the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was fractured at the No. 4 connecting rod journal. The fracture surface was flat and crack arrest lines were consistent with a fatigue fracture which initiated subsurface. No flaws or embedded particles were observed at the site of the fatigue initiation. The engine was overhauled about 3 years before the accident and had accumulated 2,798 hours of operation since the overhaul.
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 (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 584 hours in all; 484 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 453 as pilot in command; 256 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 21, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 4:20 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2021. 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 | Materials Laboratory Study Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Phoenix Pd-photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.