- Date
- October 10, 1989, 12:42 local (19:42 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7602UCessna T207A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891010039569A
- Case key
- 26594
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inflight failure of the airplane's powerplant as a result metal fatigue which allowed the crankshaft to fracture. Contributing to the accident was mountainous terrain of the Grand Canyon which did not allow a suitable forced landing area.
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 airplane was flying a scenic tour when there was a loss of engine power. The pilot switched fuel tanks to the fullest tank and power was regained momentarily. The engine stopped. The propeller did not windmill. The pilot accomplished an off airport landing in rugged mountainous terrain. Disassembly of the engine revealed the crankshaft had fractured. Examination of the fracture revealed subsurface metal fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7602U
- Reported as
- Cessna T207A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20700442
- Airframe hours
- 6,302
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Aviation Services West
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 6, 1989 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- PGA · Page, AZ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,765 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 2,554 as pilot in command · 304 in the last 90 days · 95 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- 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.