- Date
- May 31, 1992, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Strawberry, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9645BCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920531017999A
- Case key
- 27634
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot committed suicide due to the pilot's emotional state from interpersonal relations.
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 pilot indicated to a friend that he planned to end his life. The pilot was reportedly emotionally upset and depressed because of a recently deteriorated close personal relationship and employment difficulties. The pilot was reported to have recently obtained a new life insurance policy. The pilot rented a flying club airplane and took off without mishap. No en route communications or services were requested or provided to the pilot, and he departed the area. Two days later the missing airplane was located. It was found to have descended into estimated 40 degree up sloping, rocky, mountainous terrain. The airplane fragmented upon impact; the crash was not survivable. A handwritten note was found in plain view at the pilot's residence. In part, the note stated 'good bye, good bye...'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9645B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0941
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Arizona Aviation Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Michael A. Roberti
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 1992
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- Unknown
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 25 in this make and model · 295 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Observed at
- 0E4, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9645B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.