- Date
- May 5, 1983, 20:45 local (May 6, 1983, 03:45 UTC)
- Place
- Gila Bend, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7795UCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830505018069A
- Case key
- 23700
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student plt departed livermore, CA at an undetermined time. He reported that his destination was tucson, AZ. En route stops were made at bakersfield & banning, CA. After refueling at banning, he departed on a unspecified & undetermined route. He stated that in the vicinity of ajo, AZ, he elected to return to Gila Bend, AZ, but provided no reason for the diversion. According to him, the engine quit running during arrival & he was too low to align the acft with the rwy. The acft was landed cross-wise to the rwy & collided with a dirt berm. An exam revealed the left fuel tank was empty & only about 2 gal was remaining in the right tank. Unusable fuel for the Cessna 172E is aprx 2 gal. There was no evidence that the student pilot was indorsed for the x-country. There was no indication in his report that either of the passengers were rated pilots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7795U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251795
- Airframe hours
- 5,057
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joe S. Enloe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1982
- Departed
- Banning, CA
- Destination
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- E63 · Gila Bend Muni
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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 5 in this make and model · 220 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GBN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.