Cessna 172 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, August 18, 2020
On August 18, 2020 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172, registered N103VK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper pitch attitude and landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructors delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2020 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2000 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N103VK · registry record · serial 172S8532
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction reported that, while practicing a short field landing, he misjudged the touch down location, flared early and the airplane landed hard. The flight instructor reported that, he warned the pilot to maintain his pitch attitude, but he continued to flare and the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nose wheel. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 205 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 109 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 639 hours in all; 328 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 563 as pilot in command; 332 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 24, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,369.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 7, 2020; 35.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 10,519 hours total
- Operator: Westwind School Of Aeronautics LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07R, 8,196 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 108°F (42°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KDVT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N103VK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR20CA293.