Cessna 170B accident near Queen Creek, Arizona, April 29, 2023
On April 29, 2023 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170B, registered N2207D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Queen Creek, Arizona (Pegusas Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with a dust devil after landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2023 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Queen Creek, Arizona · Pegusas Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B, built 1952 · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2207D · registry record · serial 20359
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported encountering a dust devil (also called a whirlwind) during rollout following a full stall landing maneuver. The airplane did not have any aileron authority due to the low airspeed at the time of the encounter. The left wing subsequently impacted the ground and the airplane departed the runway. It continued to roll down a hill before flipping and coming to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage and both wings. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine 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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Dust devil/whirlwind › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 950 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 26, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,099 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2022; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 6,603 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5AZ3 Queen Creek AZ at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 5,124 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KIWA, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KIWA 291653Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 30/M06 A3004
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 20, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | 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.