Cessna 172 N54814

Summary

On 4 September 1988 at about 04:20 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N54814 was involved in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 September 1988 at 04:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Grand Canyon (GCN)

Coordinates

36.0300, -112.0207

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N54814

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Farmington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX88FA307

4 people died.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING NIGH VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE AT NIGH AND THE LACK OF OUTSIDE VISUAL REFERENCES DUE TO DARKNESS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE ACFT ON TWO PREVIOUS FLIGHTS ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FIRST FLT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE SECOND FLT WAS ABORTED DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB. THE PILOT CALCULATED HIS WEIGHT ONBOARD AND REALIZED HE EXCEEDED THE MAX GROSS. HE DEFUELED AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL AND PLANNED TO STAY THE NIGHT IN THE AREA BUT WAS UNABLE TO SECURE LODGING. HE THEN ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT THAT NIGHT. WITNESSES STATED THE ACFT CLIMBED TO APRX 200 FT WITH THE WINGS FLUCTUATING IN BANK ANGLE AFTER WHICH THE ACFT ENTERED A SPIRAL AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. DENSITY ALT WAS CALCULATED TO HAVE BEEN 8,500 FT WHEN THE TAKEOFF OCCURRED. THE ARPT PROVIDES A 'BLACK HOLE' ENVIROMENT AT NIGHT. REVIEW OF THE PLT LOGBOOKS REVEALED A LACK OF RECENT NIGHT EXPERIENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR PART 61.75(D).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.