Cessna T207A N7311U

Summary

On 10 May 2014 at about 22:45 local time, a Cessna T207A registered N7311U, operated by American Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Page, Arizona, United States. 7 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured, 5 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2014 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Page, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Page Muni (PGA)

Coordinates

36.9339, -111.4497

Aircraft

Cessna T207A

Registration

N7311U

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

American Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Page → Page

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14FA186

1 person died.

The pilot’s inability to maintain aircraft control due to a partial loss of engine power and an encounter with downdrafts and gusting crosswinds while on final approach to the runway. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a local sightseeing flight, the pilot noticed that the engine had lost partial power, and he initiated a turn back toward the airport while troubleshooting the loss of power. Despite the pilot's attempts, the engine would not regain full power and was surging and sputtering randomly. The pilot entered the airport's traffic pattern on the downwind leg, and, while on final approach to the runway, the airplane encountered multiple downdrafts and wind gusts. It is likely that, due to the downdrafts and the partial loss of engine power, the pilot was not able to maintain airplane control. The airplane subsequently landed hard short of the runway surface and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The reported wind conditions around the time of the accident varied between 20 and 70 degrees right of the runway heading and were 14 knots gusting to greater than 20 knots. In addition, a company pilot who landed about 8 minutes before the accident reported that he encountered strong downdrafts and windshear while on final approach to the runway and that he would not have been able to reach the runway if he had a partial or total loss of engine power. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was subsequently installed on a test stand and was successfully run through various power settings for several minutes. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.