LAX96LA157

Factual narrative

On April 6, 1996, at 1015 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N62038, left wing contacted the asphalt surface while landing on runway 03 at Sedona Airport, Sedona, Arizona. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his two passengers were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, about 0900 hours. A ground witness reported that he observed the airplane landing on runway 03. When the airplane began to flare, the left wing dropped and it contacted the runway, followed by the nose landing gear. He said that the surface winds were less than 5 knots. The airport's automated weather observation system (AWOS) showed that the surface winds were from 020 degrees at 6 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot said in a telephone interview conducted on April 6, 1996, at 1030 hours, that he entered the traffic pattern from over the airport. He said that he received the landing information before he entered the traffic pattern and while on final approach. When he flared the airplane about 10 feet above the ground, the airplane encountered a dust devil which pushed the airplane to the right. The pilot applied power to execute a go-around, but the left wing dropped and contacted the runway, followed by the nose landing gear. The pilot also said that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures. The pilot said that he encountered a dust devil when he flared the airplane for landing. He applied power, but the left wing and nose dropped and contacted the runway. A ground witness said that the airplane's left wing dropped when the pilot flared the airplane, but he did not report any dust devil activity in the area. He said that the surface winds were less than 5 knots. The AWOS reported the surface winds at 6 knots, gusting to 15 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12