Cessna 172M N73708
14 April 1985 · Camp Verde, Arizona, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 14 April 1985 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N73708, operated by Southwest Flite Center, was involved in an accident near Camp Verde, Arizona, United States. 8 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Camp Verde, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.4793, -111.7806
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M
- Registration
- N73708
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Southwest Flite Center
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Scottsdale → Sedona
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX85FA202
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
BOTH ACFT INVOLVED IN THE COLLISION WERE PART OF A 4-PLANE FORMATION FLT EN ROUTE TO A GROUP FLY-IN. N6439R WAS SEEN TO CHANGE POSITIONS SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE FLT WHILE THE OTHER ACFT REMAINED STABLE. REPORTS FROM WITNESSES SAY THAT N6439R MADE 'CLOSE APPROACHES' & 'CROSS UNDERS' OF THE OTHER ACFT IN THE FLT. THE PLT OF N73708 SAID THAT FROM OFF HIS RIGHT SIDE 39R BANKED LEFT TO APPROACH HIS ACFT. WHEN THE BANK ANGLE OF 39R HAD NOT CHANGED AT 50 YDS DISTANCE, THE PLT OF 708 SAID HE STARTED A HARD EVASSIVE LEFT TURN BUT THE PROP OF 39R STRUCK THE BOTTOM OF HIS ACFT. THE VERSION TOLD BY THE PLT OF 39R WAS IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THE EVIDENCE & THE MAJORITY OF THE WITNESSES. ALL 3 OF THE 100 HR PVT PLTS SAID THEY WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THE PLT OF 39R WAS DOING, BUT SINCE HE HAD A COM/CFII & 900 HRS, THEY THOUGHT 'HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.'
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172M 172M | N73708 | Southwest Flite Center | Destroyed |
| Piper PA-28-140 PA-28-140 | N6439R | William R. Thompson | Substantial |
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 1985 | Cessna 172 | Boise, Idaho, United States | Billy W COX | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1985 | Cessna 172M | Pearland, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 1985 | Cessna 172 | Guilford, Missouri, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 1985 | Cessna 172N | Mt Carmel, Illinois, United States | Frank J. Altadonna | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Mar 1985 | Cessna 172G | Show Low, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 1985 | Cessna 172 | Spanaway, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 1985 | Cessna 182P | Gila Bend, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1985 | Cessna 210A | Quartzsite, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 1985 | Cessna 182G | Gila Bend, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 Apr 1985 | Cessna 172 | Page, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1985 | Bell 47 G-5 | Yuma, Arizona, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1985 | Cessna 177 | Chinle, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |