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WPR13CA348

2013-07-26 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport IWA

Current FAA registration · N635ND

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2013 · 0 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20130327
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A8517F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

A substantially damaged firewall that occurred during an unknown phase of flight for reasons that could not be determined.

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. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_WPR13CA348.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). All research papers