What happened
The aircraft was operating out of Scottsdale, Arizona, when it initially diverted from its intended flight path to Sedona because of thunderstorms and high winds in the Scottsdale area. After communicating with Scottsdale Tower, the pilot decided to return and land at Scottsdale. However, the pilot did not correctly read back the weather information provided by the tower.
As the aircraft descended through rain and turbulence, the pilot reported to Scottsdale ATC at 1857 that they believed the airport was at nine o'clock. The tower cleared the aircraft for a visual approach to Runway 21. Tower controllers never established visual contact with the aircraft and were unable to maintain radio communication after that point.
The last recorded radar contact showed the aircraft descending at 2,200 feet, two miles from Scottsdale on a bearing of 075 degrees. The aircraft impacted the ground left-wing low in a landing configuration on a heading of approximately 300 degrees. It slid about 770 feet before coming to a stop, during which it lost its engines, wings, and landing gear.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed no signs of pre-impact mechanical conditions that would have affected normal operations. The Cessna 172N (registration N98SW) sustained substantial damage to the airframe and propulsion system consistent with a high-energy impact.
Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain visual contact with the airport during the approach, combined with the misinterpretation of weather information from tower, contributed to the accident. The aircraft was in a landing configuration at the time of impact, indicating the pilot was attempting to land but could not locate the runway visually.
Safety message
Pilots must ensure they have established and maintained visual reference to the airport or runway environment when cleared for a visual approach. If visual contact is lost or cannot be established, pilots should immediately execute a missed approach procedure rather than continuing descent into potentially hazardous weather conditions.