# NTSB WPR22LA165: Cessna 182G, N3694U, Eloy, AZ, April 25, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 24, 2022, 18:45 local (Apr 25, 2022, 01:45 UTC) - Place: Eloy, AZ - Coordinates: 32.661915, -111.71015 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.6619&lon=-111.7101&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminstration - NTSB case key (mKey): 104993 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR22LA165 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104993/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104993 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA165 ## Probable cause The unoccupied airplanes exceedance of the critical angle of attack which resulted in a stall, subsequent inverted spin, and impact with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded; cases with it: [Cessna 182G, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=2072716), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182G, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=2072716), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) ## Analysis The accident airplane was part of an exhibition event, the goal of which was for two pilots to fly two similarly equipped airplanes in a vertical dive, after which they would simultaneously bail out and transfer to the other airplane. The pilot of one airplane was able to successfully transfer to the other airplane and land without incident, however, the other pilot could not enter the second airplane because it entered an inverted spin shortly after egress. The pilot reported that he believed the airplane entered a spin due to the ballast that was added to offset the weight of the safety pilot. He added that the airplane was outfitted with a parachute system that was designed to trigger at an altitude of 1,000 ft, and deployed while the airplane was inverted, which resulted in it only being partially deployed when the airplane impacted the ground and was substantially damaged. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3694U](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3694U), registered now, S/N 18255094, built 1963 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182G - Registry model: [Cessna 182G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182g) (registry code 2072716) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18255094 - Year built: 1963 - Airframe hours: 5505.34 - Engines: Continental O-470-L 275 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Para Tactics LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, January 14, 2022, 68.27 hours before - Airport: AZ04 - Equipment: Airframe parachute, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Video recording device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 23, 2022; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 5,569 total, 5,209 as pilot in command, 66 in the last 90 days, 22 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 7 °F - Altimeter: 29.91 inHg - Observed at: KCGZ, 18 nm away - METAR: KCGZ 250156Z AUTO 32006KT 10SM CLR 26/M14 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP120 T02611144 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20220424005759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220424005759A), Apr 24, 2022: Cessna 182G, Eloy, AZ, Substantial damage. The accident aircraft, N3694U, was part of an event sponsored by [privacy data omitted] near Eloy, Arizona. The goal was to fly two Cessna 182 aircraft at… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104993. 128 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14036629&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation - pilot (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 126 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14157174&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20pilot-Rel.pdf - Attorney email correspondance (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 82 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14039333&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Attorney%20Correspondance_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Plane swap trailer obtained from red bull's website (item 4, MP4, 10.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14039444&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=trailer%20video-Rel.mp4 - Plane swap event description video from red bull's website (item 5, MP4, 89.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14040113&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=event%20description-Rel.mp4 - Plane swap website (printed copy) (item 6, PDF, 11 pages, 18.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14040612&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=plan%20swap%20website%20print-Rel.pdf - Event video from red bull's website (item 7, MP4, 4.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14152620&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=event%20video%201-Rel.mp4 - Photo array (item 8, PDF, 1 page, 1 photo, 611 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14158413&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photo%20array-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.