# Incident 19960909038239I: Cessna T207A, Grand Canyon, AZ, September 9, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 9, 1996, 10:45 local time
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: KNFA
- Location: 36.0544° N, 112.1393° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Grand Canyon, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0544&lon=-112.1393&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3156X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3156X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna T207A (registry code 2073614, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t207a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA T207A
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO520M
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,250 total, 300 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960909038239I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: SHORTLY AFTER JOINING THE BLUE 2, NEAR BAT CAVES ON THE SFAR 50-2 BLUE 2 ROUTE AT 5,500 FT. MSL, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED EXPERIENCING A SEVERE VIBRATION. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THE ONSET OF THE VIBRATION THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS. PILOT INCREASED TO FULL THROTTLE IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL DESCENDING AT 300 FPM. PILOT DECIDED THE CANYON WEST AIRPORT WAS NOT AN OPTION AND PROCEEDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AND FLATTEST AVAILABLE AREA ON THE RIM BELOW. AS PILOT SET UP FOR THE APPROACH TO THE PLATEAU THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. PILOT IDENT. 7700 ON THE TRANSPONDER AND MADE BLIND CALLS ON 121.95 (SECTOR), 122.75 (COMPANY) AND 121.5 (EMERGENCY) AND ANNOUNCED HIS POSITION AND THAT KING 18 WAS GOING DOWN. PILOT EXECUTED A SOFT FIELD LANDING ON THE PLATEAU, TRYING TO KEEP THE NOSE UP ON ROLLOUT TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM FLIPPING OVER. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, PILOT OFF-LOADED PASSENGERS AND EVALUATED THEIR CONDITION. UPON DETERMINING THAT EVERYONE APPEARED TO BE WITHOUT INJURIES HE RADIOED FOR ASSISTANCE AND REQUESTED A HELICOPTER FROM ARIZONA RESCUE. PILOT MAINTAINED RADIO CONTACT WITH OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA ON 122.75 AND 121.95 UNTIL THE RESCUE HELICOPTER ARRIVED. PILOT LATER FOUND THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS THAT A CONNECTING ROD HAD BEEN THROWN THROUGH THE CRANK CASE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, LOWER BODY ANTENNAS, AND HORIZONTAL TAIL. NO NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATION REPORT FILED. THIS REPORT AND INVESTIGATION ARE CLOSED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.