- Date
- August 23, 1986, 20:45 local (Aug 24, 1986, 03:45 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7382QCessna 172L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860823044429A
- Case key
- 24938
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft crashed in a wooded area shortly after departing rwy 21 at Grand Canyon national park arpt (gcn). The plt had made a precautionary landing at gcn during the x-country flt to page, AZ, so he call a fss having been unable to establish contact in-flt. The plt called prescott fss who recommended the flt be delayed until morning. The plt stated he had a reservation and would lose $100.00 if he didn't get to page 'even though it's dangerous'. The plt then elected to go after speaking with another plt who stated wx at page was fine. The plt reported takeoff was normal but asthe acft traveled down the rwy it seemed to stop climbing. He then lost all outside visual reference and attempted to keep the wings level while maintaining airspeed. The plt does not recall the acft contacting trees. Local plts reported that on moonless nights a plt has to fly instruments to maintain control of the acft during departures on rwy 21 because of the lack of visual references. It was described as 'flying into a black hole'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7382Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260583
- Airframe hours
- 1,502
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald L. Truex
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 1986 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- GCN · Grand Canyon, AZ
- Destination
- PGA · Page, AZ
- Airport
- GCN · Grand Canyon, runway 21, 8,999 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 489 total · 390 in this make and model · 440 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- GCN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.