- Date
- July 26, 2013, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N635NDCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Unknown: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 87626
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
A substantially damaged firewall that occurred during an unknown phase of flight for reasons that could not be determined.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a preflight inspection, a flight instructor discovered that the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. The operator reported that the damage occurred during an unknown flight operation. The airplane's last maintenance inspection occurred about a month prior to the discovery, equating to about 52 flight hours. Numerous pilots flew the airplane during that duration, none of which reported an event that would result in damage to the airplane. A determination as to the cause of the accident could not be made.
Factual narrative
During a preflight inspection, a certified flight instructor discovered that the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. The operator reported that the damage occurred during an unknown flight operation. The airplane's last maintenance inspection occurred about a month prior to the discovery, equating to about 52 flight hours. Numerous pilots flew the airplane during that duration, none of which reported an event that would result in damage to the airplane. A determination as to the cause of the accident could not be made.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N635ND
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11294
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- The UND Aerospace Foundation
- Registered owner
- The UND Aerospace Foundation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- IWA · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- IWA · Phoenix, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- IWA · Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, runway 30R
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
- 99
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 10, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.