Probable cause
A substantially damaged firewall that occurred during an unknown phase of flight for reasons that could not be determined.
NTSB 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.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13CA348 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 26, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Nearest airport
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
Cessna 172S
- N-number
- N635ND
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.