- Date
- May 13, 1991, 13:19 local (20:19 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 7 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6280HCessna 207A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910513015449A
- Case key
- 27000
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
Detonation (or pre-ignition) in the number 1 cylinder, which resulted in erosion (burning) of the number 1 piston and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor related to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for an emergency landing.
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 crashed into a wooded area about 8 minutes after takeoff. Evidence at the wreckage site revealed that the airplane crashed through the trees at a glide angle of 8 degrees. The glide angle for a power-off forced landing is 6 degrees according to the pilot's operating handbook. The propeller did not exhibit rotational damage. Engine teardown revealed that the #1 cylinder had catastrophic detonation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6280H
- Reported as
- Cessna 207A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 207-00463
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-M, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Grand Canyon
- Registered owner
- Air Grand Canyon
- Departed
- GCN · Grand Canyon, 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
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,168 total · 36 in this make and model · 1,070 as pilot in command · 98 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- GCN, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.