# NTSB LAX92LA157: Cessna 172, N250ER, Prescott, AZ, March 31, 1992 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 31, 1992, 08:16 local (15:16 UTC) - Place: Prescott, AZ - Coordinates: 34.619922, -112.420791 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6199&lon=-112.4208&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 26, 1993 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 27585 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX92LA157 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/27585/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX92LA157 ## Probable cause (aircraft 2) THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S POOR SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT; THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S MISIDENTIFICATION OF THE AIRPLANE THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FOLLOWING AND THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S POOR VISUAL LOOKOUT. ## Probable cause (aircraft 1) THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S POOR SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT; THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S MISIDENTIFICATION OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S AND DUAL STUDENT'S POOR VISUAL LOOKOUT. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE SOFT, ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Midair collision, approach - vfr pattern - base leg/base to final - supervision - poor, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - identification of aircraft visually - improper, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - identification of aircraft visually - improper, dual student (cause) - visual lookout - poor, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - visual lookout - poor, dual student (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Nose over, landing - roll - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) - Midair collision, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - supervision - poor, pilot of other aircraft (cause) - identification of aircraft visually - improper, pilot of other aircraft (cause) - visual lookout - poor, pilot of other aircraft (cause) ## Analysis (aircraft 2) BOTH AIRPLANES WERE IN THE TOWER CONTROLLED TRAFFIC PATTERN; ONE AIRPLANE WAS ON A LEFT DOWNWIND WITH A CFI, DUAL STUDENT, AND A STUDENT PILOT/OBSERVER OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT; THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND AND WAS BEING FLOWN BY A SOLO STUDENT PILOT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AIRPLANE TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S LEFT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT AIRPLANE'S ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE, BUT BOTH PILOTS MISIDENTIFIED THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE AND BEGAN FOLLOWING THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF AND TO THE LEFT OF THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. AFTER THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT TO LAND HE THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT FOLLOWED THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF THE SOLO STUDENT AND BEGAN TO TURN ONTO THE FINAL APPROACH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE DESCENDED ONTO THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE SOLO STUDENT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CFI IN THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN THE OPEN DESERT TERRAIN, BUT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL. ## Analysis (aircraft 1) BOTH AIRPLANES WERE IN THE TOWER CONTROLLED TRAFFIC PATTERN; ONE AIRPLANE WAS ON A LEFT DOWNWIND WITH A CFI, DUAL STUDENT, AND A STUDENT PILOT/OBSERVER OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT; THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND AND WAS BEING FLOWN BY A SOLO STUDENT PILOT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AIRPLANE TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S LEFT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT AIRPLANE'S ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE, BUT BOTH PILOTS MISIDENTIFIED THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE AND BEGAN FOLLOWING THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF AND TO THE LEFT OF THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. AFTER THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE SOLO STUDENT TO LAND HE THEN CLEARED THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT TO FOLLOW THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE DUAL STUDENT'S FLIGHT FOLLOWED THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF THE SOLO STUDENT AND BEGAN TO TURN ONTO THE FINAL APPROACH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SOLO STUDENT'S AIRPLANE DESCENDED ONTO THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE. THE SOLO STUDENT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CFI IN THE DUAL STUDENT'S AIRPLANE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN THE OPEN DESERT TERRAIN, BUT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL. ## Aircraft 1 - Registration: [N250ER](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N250ER-1994-08-08), registration cancelled 1994-08-08, S/N 17270499 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17270499 - Airframe hours: 6448 - Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Unv - Registered owner: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Unv - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, March 17, 1992, 28 hours before - Airport: PRC, Ernest A. Love Field, runway 21, 7,601 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Aircraft 2 - Registration: N267ER (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1727056D - Airframe hours: 4736 - Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Unv - Registered owner: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Unv - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, March 16, 1992, 38 hours before - Airport: PRC, Ernest A. Love Field, runway 21, 7,616 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot, aircraft N250ER; age 23; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 1,600 total, 700 in this make and model, 1,515 as pilot in command, 130 in the last 90 days, 45 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Pilot, aircraft N267ER; age 19; student; medical: valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 61 total, 61 in this make and model, 1 as pilot in command, 22 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 8 knots - Visibility: 40 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: PRC, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19920331007921A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920331007921A), Mar 31, 1992: Cessna 172N, Prescott, AZ, Substantial damage. Turned final ahead and below traffic N267ER that he was to follow. The NR1 traffic descended and struck from above. - [Accident 19920331007922A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920331007922A), Mar 31, 1992: Cessna 172N, Prescott, AZ, Substantial damage. On final from right pattern descended and struck left traffic already on final that was given clearance to NR2. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.