Cessna 172K N84754 accident near Littlefield, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control when the airplane encountered high gusting wind while conducting low altitude flight in a narrow canyon, which resulted in an inflight collision with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The newly certificated private pilot and his passenger, who was the pilot's brother, were making a personal cross-country flight in a rented airplane. The pilot's parents were making the trip along the same route via automobile and were expecting to meet their sons at the destination. The group was communicating via cell phone and text messaging. The parents, who were ahead of the flight, received a message that, due to wind, the airplane had landed. Although the parents offered to drive back and pick up their sons, the pilot asked that they wait and see if the wind abated. A short time later, the pilot reported that the wind had abated and that he was en route to the destination.

Along the route to the destination, the highway that the pilot was following passed through a narrow, winding, steep-walled river canyon. A motorist reported seeing the airplane low overhead in the canyon following the highway. As the airplane approached the southwest (exit) end of the canyon, the witness saw the airplane make an abrupt left roll to an inverted position and impact a steep canyon wall.

Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted the canyon wall about 100 ft above the level of the highway. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity, and signs consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact were noted. No mechanical anomalies were found.

The closest weather station, located about 20 miles from the accident site, reported that, near the time of the accident, the wind varied between 200º and 240º at 9 to 17 knots gusting to 27 knots with a peak gust of 31 knots reported about 15 minutes before the accident. It is likely that, as the airplane neared the canyon exit, it encountered high winds entering the narrow canyon from the desert, which rolled the airplane to the left and inverted as the pilot was turning left to follow the highway. Because the pilot was operating the airplane at low altitude and in close proximity to terrain, he was unable to recover before the airplane impacted the canyon wall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR14FA302 for the full record.