Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Grand Canyon Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Peach Springs, Arizona 86434
Wednesday, August 17, 1983 12:27 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACFT DEPARTED LAS VEGAS, NV AS THE 2ND OF 5 ACFT ON A SCHEDULED GRAND CANYON SIGHT-SEEING FLT. THE 1ST PORTION OF THE FLT WAS OVER THE LAS VEGAS STRIP AREA & LAKE MEAD & WAS UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER, WX CONDITIONS PRECLUDED THE PLT FROM CONTINUING OVER THE SHIVWITS PLATEAU. RADIO CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE PLT & OTHER COMPANY AIRCREWS INDICATED THAT THE PLT OF N88LV HAD ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS IN THE CANYON & THAT HE HAD DECIDED TO ABORT THE FLT & CLIMB OUT. LATER ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE ACFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON 8/18/83 WHERE THE ACFT HAD COLLIDED ON THE WEST WALL OF A MESA INSIDE THE CANYON. A HELICOPTER PLT FLYING ABOUT 14 MI NORTH OF THE CRASH SITE REPORTED CLOUDS AT GROUND LEVEL (4500 FT MSL). THE ELEVATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 6320 FT. SHORTLY BEFORE HIS LAST TRANSMITION, THE PLT STATED HE WAS 'JUST SHORT OF TWIN PEAKS.' THE PLT HAD TRANSMITTED HIS POSITION FROM PEACH VOR, INDICATING HE WAS IN THE AREA OF THE CRASH SITE. TWIN PEAKS WAS NORTHEAST & HAD SIMILAR TERRAIN.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/17/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1227 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | PEACH SPRINGS |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86434 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| 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 | 66 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 255 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 1245 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GCN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6000 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 66 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 10 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 10 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3308 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 23834 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N88LV |
| NTSB Number | DCA83AA034 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-7752118 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7000 |
| 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 | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 7 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 4325 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LAS VEGAS AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P O BOX 15105 |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 89114 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | VGT |
| Departure City | LAS VEGAS |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GCN |
| Destination City | GRAND CANYON |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |