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20230623006859A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 182G · Gunnison, CO · June 23, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 23, 2023 · 08:37 local
Place
Gunnison, CO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3289S
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA263
Reported as
Cessna 182G
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
4
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
300 total1 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N3289SRegistered now · Cessna 182GS/N 18255789 · Built 1964Airframe modelCessna 182GEngine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While taking a part 91 flight to see the sights in the area around delta, CO, pilot states they planned to fly along the Gunnison river and see the canyon. Pilot stated this was their first time flying a Cessna 182 and they had been checked out on it prior to the accident flight by the company they rented the aircraft from. Pilot stated they flew the aircraft into the canyon and it was very wide, but it started to narrow near the end. The Gunnison river canyon rim averages about 8800 ft. the aircraft flight as seen on flight tracking software showed the aircraft at a lowest altitude of 7600 ft. the pilot decided to climb out of it along one of the side canyons to the left. However, the pilot stated the aircraft did not have the rate of climb as expected. This was the pilots first time flying at high altitude mountainous terrain. The pilot stated they thought they heard a stall warning and started stall recovery procedures but clipped some treetops before impact with terrain. Day VFR. Four occupants. All four injured, two seriously.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE TAKING A PART 91 FLIGHT TO SEE THE SIGHTS IN THE AREA AROUND DELTA, CO, PILOT STATES THEY PLANNED TO FLY ALONG THE GUNNISON RIVER AND SEE THE CANYON. PILOT STATED THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME FLYING A CESSNA 182 AND THEY HAD BEEN CHECKED OUT ON IT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT BY THE COMPANY THEY RENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM. PILOT STATED THEY FLEW THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE CANYON AND IT WAS VERY WIDE, BUT IT STARTED TO NARROW NEAR THE END. THE GUNNISON RIVER CANYON RIM AVERAGES ABOUT 8800 FT. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT AS SEEN ON FLIGHT TRACKING SOFTWARE SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT A LOWEST ALTITUDE OF 7600 FT. THE PILOT DECIDED TO CLIMB OUT OF IT ALONG ONE OF THE SIDE CANYONS TO THE LEFT. HOWEVER, THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE THE RATE OF CLIMB AS EXPECTED. THIS WAS THE PILOTS FIRST TIME FLYING AT HIGH ALTITUDE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT STATED THEY THOUGHT THEY HEARD A STALL WARNING AND STARTED STALL RECOVERY PROCEDURES BUT CLIPPED SOME TREETOPS BEFORE IMPACT WITH TERRAIN. DAY VFR. FOUR OCCUPANTS. ALL FOUR INJURED, TWO SERIOUSLY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN23LA263Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGunnison, COThe pilot’s improper decision to fly into an area of unsuitable terrain which the airplane was unable to exit, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain.Jun 23, 2023 · Destroyed