- Date
- April 2, 1985, 16:55 local (Apr 3, 1985, 00:55 UTC)
- Place
- Smith, NV
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6923XCessna 172B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850402009899A
- Case key
- 40036
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
According to witnesses, the plt made multiple passes over his residence at low alt. The witnesses observed the acft in various maneuvers at low alt. One maneuver was described as a pull-up from about 100 ft to aprx 600 ft, where the acft went into a wingover or hammerhead stall. Subsequently, while maneuvering, the acft impacted the ground in a steep nose down, slightly left bank attitude while on a heading of 125 degs. Initial ground impact was aprx 94 ft east of a set of power lines. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found during the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6923X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17247823
- Airframe hours
- 2,777
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leonard Fletcher Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 29, 1984
- Departed
- 3Q4 · Wellington, NV
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 566 in this make and model · 545 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 29 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.