Cessna 172M accident near Skull Valley, Arizona, January 21, 2023
On January 21, 2023 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 172M, registered N92570, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Skull Valley, Arizona (Yav'Pe Ma'Ta Airport). It was a personal 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2023 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Skull Valley, Arizona · Yav'Pe Ma'Ta Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1973 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N92570 · registry record · serial 17261586
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he encountered a crosswind from the left during a landing attempt and the airplane drifted right. The right wing impacted tree branches that resulted in a loss of directional control. The airplane then collided with an adjacent bush, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,137.4 hours in all; 1,070.6 in this make and model; 12.2 in the last 90 days; 5.2 in the last 30 days; 1,137.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 15, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,006.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2023; 10.0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320E2D (piston); 4,006 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Observation at 3:37 pm from KPRC, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KPRC 012237Z 19006KT 2SM -SN BR OVC008 01/01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 WPR23LA135.