Cessna 425 accident near Round Rock, Arizona, July 17, 2025
On July 17, 2025 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 425, registered N425D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Round Rock, Arizona. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2025 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Round Rock, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 425, built 1981 · all 425s on the register
- Registration
- N425D · registry record · serial 425-0121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 17, 2025, about 1600 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 425, N425D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Round Rock, Arizona. The pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The pilot under instruction and the flight instructor reported that they were about 1.5 hours into the flight from Centennial Airport (APA), Denver, Colorado to Phoenix Dear Valley (DVT), Phoenix, Arizona. They reported that during cruise flight at an altitude of about 26,000 ft msl, they heard a loud noise from the left engine, followed by an immediate and total loss of engine power. While troubleshooting the left engine, the right engine lost total power, as confirmed by the torque and engine temperature gauges. They declared an emergency with air traffic control and attempted to restart the right engine, but the primary flight display “flickered for a moment” followed by a total loss of electrical power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to an open desert area and during the landing sequence on a dry, rough surface, the main landing gear separated. The airplane came to rest upright, and the left wing sustained substantial damage. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,348.6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 11, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 8,600 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: APA Centennial CO at 8:10 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KRQE, 52 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KRQE 172153Z AUTO 28007KT 10SM FEW120 27/09 A3018 RMK AO2 WSHFT 2040 LTG DSNT NE SLP093 T02670094=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR25LA218.