Cessna 172N accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, April 15, 2023
On April 15, 2023, a 1977 Cessna 172N, registered N734NJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near North Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll resulting in collision with taxiway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2023
- Place
- North Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1977 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N734NJ · registry record · serial 17268981
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Certified Flight Instructor reported that, while practicing stop-and-go landings with his student, the airplane touched down hard and immediately veered left. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane continued off the runway and hit a taxiway sign with the left wing and landing gear struts. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing strut. The pilot reported to the duty officer that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 290.9 hours in all; 114.8 in this make and model; 49.8 in the last 90 days; 33.3 in the last 30 days; 214 as pilot in command; 45.5 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 12.9 hours in all; 12.9 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: type not recorded, March 14, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flyright Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: U08 Overton NV at 9:00 pm
- Destination: KVGT Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30R, 4,199 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KVGT
Weather report (METAR): METAR KVGT 142353Z 27004KT 10SM CLR 23/M07 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP097 T02331067 10239 20189 56006=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 WPR23LA155.