What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 19, 2023, about 14:00 mountain standard time (MST), a Cessna R182 aircraft was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Valle airport (40G) near grand canyon, Arizona. The certificated private pilot and non-pilot passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that the airplane was recently purchased and that he was flying the airplane from eagle airpark (A09) mohave valley, Arizona to the st. louis, Missouri, area. He said that there were no refueling services at A09 and that the left tank was about 3/4 full and the right tank was 7/8 full prior to departing.
About an hour into the flight, the pilot reported that the fuel was only draining from the left tank, and he decided to conduct a precautionary landing at Valle airport. During the approach to runway 01, the engine was “acting up” and he added full power to perform a go-around. The pilot stated the engine produced partial power. During the go-around sequence, the aircraft impacted the ground with both wings and fuselage sustaining substantial damage. There were no witnesses to the accident.
The weather at the time of the accident was reported at grand canyon airport (kgcn) 13:54 MST as visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with wind speed at 16-25 knots at 250 degrees magnetic.
The FAA on-site investigation conducted on April 20, 2023, revealed the wreckage came to rest approximately 320’ feet east of the runway 01 centerline and approximately 2,100’ feet from the runway 01 threshold. Ground impact marks indicated an initial impact point and an approximate 75 foot debris path extending 030 degrees magnetic to the main wreckage location. No other surface contact marks were noted from the runway to the main wreckage location.
An examination of the cockpit revealed flight control continuity. The cockpit controls, levers and switches contained the following information:
Throttle – forward
Propeller – forward (high RPM)
Mixture – forward (rich)
Carb heat – pulled (on)
Aux fuel pump switch – on
Landing gear selector – down
Wing flaps – full (30 degrees) down
The examination of the aircraft was unable to locate the aircraft operating checklists, pilot operating handbook (POH), weight and balance documentation, aeronautical charts or aircraft registration.
Examination of the aircraft exterior revealed damage to both outer wings with upward bending to the right wing and downward bending to the left wing. The forward fuselage, propeller and engine compartment exhibited impact damage. Both wing flaps were extended down. Propeller rotational bending was evident. The aft fuselage exhibited bending to the right suggesting the aircraft experienced severe side loading prior to coming to rest. The right-side passenger door had separated from the aircraft. The aircraft fuselage was oriented 100 degrees nose to tail and parallel to the taxiway.
The pilot and passenger were not present during the on-site examination of the aircraft and has yet to provide copies of aircraft maintenance logbooks and pilot logbook documentation. Preliminary evidence suggests the pilot failed to properly configure the aircraft (landing gear and flaps) and engine controls (carb heat, rich fuel mixture, aux fuel pump) for a successful go-around. The pilot subsequently experienced a loss of directional control due to the gusty crosswinds followed by a low-speed aerodynamic stall.
The airplane was relocated to a secured facility for further examination. This report will be amended upon additional findings.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 19, 2023, ABOUT 14:00 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), A CESSNA R182 AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT VALLE AIRPORT (40G) NEAR GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND NON-PILOT PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED AND THAT HE WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE FROM EAGLE AIRPARK (A09) MOHAVE VALLEY, ARIZONA TO THE ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AREA. HE SAID THAT THERE WERE NO REFUELING SERVICES AT A09 AND THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS ABOUT 3/4 FULL AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS 7/8 FULL PRIOR TO DEPARTING.
ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FUEL WAS ONLY DRAINING FROM THE LEFT TANK, AND HE DECIDED TO CONDUCT A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT VALLE AIRPORT. DURING THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 01, THE ENGINE WAS “ACTING UP” AND HE ADDED FULL POWER TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE PRODUCED PARTIAL POWER. DURING THE GO-AROUND SEQUENCE, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH BOTH WINGS AND FUSELAGE SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT.
THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AT GRAND CANYON AIRPORT (KGCN) 13:54 MST AS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) WITH WIND SPEED AT 16-25 KNOTS AT 250 DEGREES MAGNETIC.
THE FAA ON-SITE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED ON APRIL 20, 2023, REVEALED THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 320’ FEET EAST OF THE RUNWAY 01 CENTERLINE AND APPROXIMATELY 2,100’ FEET FROM THE RUNWAY 01 THRESHOLD. GROUND IMPACT MARKS INDICATED AN INITIAL IMPACT POINT AND AN APPROXIMATE 75 FOOT DEBRIS PATH EXTENDING 030 DEGREES MAGNETIC TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE LOCATION. NO OTHER SURFACE CONTACT MARKS WERE NOTED FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE LOCATION.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE COCKPIT REVEALED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY. THE COCKPIT CONTROLS, LEVERS AND SWITCHES CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
THROTTLE – FORWARD
PROPELLER – FORWARD (HIGH RPM)
MIXTURE – FORWARD (RICH)
CARB HEAT – PULLED (ON)
AUX FUEL PUMP SWITCH – ON
LANDING GEAR SELECTOR – DOWN
WING FLAPS – FULL (30 DEGREES) DOWN
THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING CHECKLISTS, PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH), WEIGHT AND BALANCE DOCUMENTATION, AERONAUTICAL CHARTS OR AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION.
EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT EXTERIOR REVEALED DAMAGE TO BOTH OUTER WINGS WITH UPWARD BENDING TO THE RIGHT WING AND DOWNWARD BENDING TO THE LEFT WING. THE FORWARD FUSELAGE, PROPELLER AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE. BOTH WING FLAPS WERE EXTENDED DOWN. PROPELLER ROTATIONAL BENDING WAS EVIDENT. THE AFT FUSELAGE EXHIBITED BENDING TO THE RIGHT SUGGESTING THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SEVERE SIDE LOADING PRIOR TO COMING TO REST. THE RIGHT-SIDE PASSENGER DOOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE WAS ORIENTED 100 DEGREES NOSE TO TAIL AND PARALLEL TO THE TAXIWAY.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT PRESENT DURING THE ON-SITE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND HAS YET TO PROVIDE COPIES OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS AND PILOT LOGBOOK DOCUMENTATION. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THE PILOT FAILED TO PROPERLY CONFIGURE THE AIRCRAFT (LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS) AND ENGINE CONTROLS (CARB HEAT, RICH FUEL MIXTURE, AUX FUEL PUMP) FOR A SUCCESSFUL GO-AROUND. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO THE GUSTY CROSSWINDS FOLLOWED BY A LOW-SPEED AERODYNAMIC STALL.
THE AIRPLANE WAS RELOCATED TO A SECURED FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED UPON ADDITIONAL FINDINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4166C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.