Cessna 172S accident near Prescott, Arizona, May 18, 2024
On May 18, 2024 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2007 Cessna 172S, registered N17304, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Prescott, Arizona (Prescott Regional Airport - Ea). 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing following an aborted takeoff which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2024 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Prescott Regional Airport - Ea · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2007 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N17304 · registry record · serial 172S10643
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during a takeoff, while about 3 to 5 ft above the ground, a couple of birds flew across the windscreen. The student pilot aborted the takeoff to land on the remaining runway. The airplane descended onto the runway and veered to the left, exited the runway, across the taxiway and impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported no 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 62.2 hours in all; 62.2 in this make and model; 15.1 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21L, 7,619 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KPRC, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPRC 181453Z 17004KT 10SM CLR 21/04 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP110 ACFT MSHAP T02060039 51013=
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 February 12, 2025. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N17304 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.