Cessna 172L N7382Q

Summary

On 24 August 1986 at about 03:45 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N7382Q was involved in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

24 August 1986 at 03:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Grand Canyon (GCN)

Coordinates

36.0293, -112.0208

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N7382Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Canyon → Page

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX86FA328

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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'.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.