Cessna 182H N8515S

Summary

On 12 November 2017 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 182H registered N8515S was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 November 2017 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Tucson Intl (TUS)

Coordinates

32.1144, -110.9392

Aircraft

Cessna 182H

Registration

N8515S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Quintin → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA051

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to use taxiways shown on the airport diagrams and his subsequent failure to avoid a ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after he refueled his airplane, he was cleared by the tower controller to the runway. He added that, as he taxied west toward taxiway Delta, the asphalt was very rough, and he did not see the taxiway to his left nor the unmarked drainage ditch immediately in front of him. The airplane entered the ditch travelling about 5 knots. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the accident airport diagram revealed that the area around the ditch was not a depicted taxiway. Further review of satellite imagery revealed that there were two access points to taxiway Delta southwest of the refueling point.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.