Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Grand Canyon Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023
Saturday, August 23, 1986 20:45 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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'.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/23/1986 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2045 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | GRAND CANYON |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86023 |
| Event Date Year | 1986 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GRAND CANYON |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GCN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 185 |
| Airport Elevation | 6605 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2115 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GCN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6605 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1126 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 23 1986 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 31468 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7382Q |
| NTSB Number | LAX86FA328 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172L |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17260583 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 8 1986 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 32 |
| Airframe Hours | 1502 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DONALD L. TRUEX |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4631 VIA BENDITA |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA BARBARA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93110 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GCN |
| Departure City | GRAND CANYON |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2044 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PGA |
| Destination City | PAGE |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 8999 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |