- Date
- October 24, 2020, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Carefree, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7029TCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20201024018359A
- Case key
- 102190
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’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 2
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
The private pilot reported that, while en route in the airplane, a “puff of smoke” originated from the instrument panel, so he decided to conduct a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. While on final approach to land, the airplane stalled and then impacted the ground hard just short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7029T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46629
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 3,061.1
- Engine
- Continental O-300A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert W Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2020
- Departed
- KDVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- KPAN · Payson, AZ
- Airport
- 18AZ · Sky Ranch at Carefree, runway 6, 4,037 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B
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
- 87
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KSDL, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KSDL 241753Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 25/08 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP124 T02500078 10250 20194 58001
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.