Rockwell 112 accident near Three Points, Arizona, October 17, 2021
On October 17, 2021 at about 9:02 pm local time, a 1976 Rockwell 112, registered N112LS, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Three Points, Arizona (Ryan Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and the airplane entering an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2021 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Three Points, Arizona · Ryan Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 112 B, built 1976
- Registration
- N112LS · no longer on the register · serial 511
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a personal training flight for an upcoming flight review. Flight track data revealed that shortly after departure the airplane conducted multiple 180° turns above a road then entered two clearing-turns before conducting multiple steep turns. The airplane then headed southwest and then southeast as airspeed slowed to about 60 kts. The data showed that, about 3,800 ft agl, the airplane’s airspeed slowed to about 50 kts and entered a steep descending left turn. The airplane’s airspeed most likely dropped below stall speed during the slow flight maneuver and the pilot was unable to recover before impact. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The flap and landing gear configuration were not determined during the investigation due to the impact and thermal damage.
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 in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,437 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,689 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 8:39 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24L, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 1:58 pm from KRYN, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRYN 172058Z 20011KT 10SM CLR 31/00 A2996
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on November 8, 2023. 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 | NTSB Accident Site and Followup Wreckage Examination Report | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Google Earth Images-flight Track Data | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Adsb-flight Track Data-klm File. | map file | Download |
| 4 | N112LS ADS-B Data | data file | Download |
| 5 | Aircraft Performance Study | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | POH Stall Speeds | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | FAA Tox Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Wreckage Release Form | PDF, 1 page | 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.