- Date
- April 14, 1985, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Camp Verde, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 serious, 4 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19850414015332A19850414015331A
- Case key
- 24489
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
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.'
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.'
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N73708
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267621
- Airframe hours
- 1,464
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southwest Flite Center
- Registered owner
- Hans P. Treuenfels
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 9, 1985 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Destination
- SEZ · Sedona, 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.
- Registration
- N6439R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-21621
- Airframe hours
- 4,611
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William R. Thompson
- Registered owner
- William R. Thompson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 1984 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Destination
- SEZ · Sedona, 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.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N73708
- Age
- 20
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 102 total · 31 in this make and model · 68 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6439R
- Age
- 20
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 915 total · 469 in this make and model · 827 as pilot in command · 330 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHX, 54 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.