- Date
- February 21, 2026, 17:46 local (Feb 22, 2026, 00:46 UTC)
- Place
- Rocky Junction, AZ · Provided by LEO/FAA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N12984Cessna 177B
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260221001639A
- Case key
- 202488
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Preliminary report
What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.
On February 21, 2026, 1746 Mountain standard time, a Cessna 177B airplane, N12984, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Rocky Junction, Arizona. The pilot and passenger sustain minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91personal flight. The pilot reported that during departure at about 6,500ft msl (means sea level) the engine loss total power. The pilot observed one of the cylinder head temperatures was over 460 degrees. The pilot turned on the fuel boost pumps, changed fuel tanks but was unable to restart the engine. The pilot made a forced landing into remote hilly terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A postaccident examination of the wreckage is pending the recovery of the aircraft.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12984
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17702394
- Built
- 1975
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Go Fly Az LLC
- Registered owner
- Go Fly Az LLC
- Departed
- PAN · Payson, AZ
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KIWA, 70 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KIWA 220350Z 35006KT 10SM CLR 15/M05 A3020
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.