Cessna 182M N71518

Summary

On 6 March 2026 at about 15:40 local time, a Cessna 182M registered N71518, operated by Northern Arizona 182 Flying Guys LLC, was involved in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

6 March 2026 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG)

Coordinates

35.1375, -111.6740

Aircraft

Cessna 182M

Registration

N71518

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Northern Arizona 182 Flying Guys LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA122

2 people had minor injuries.

Maintenance personnel’s decision to conduct an engine run at takeoff power in front of an active taxiway, and their failure to notify ATC, which resulted in the accident pilot’s loss of control during taxi due to an encounter with a jet blast.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the Cessna 182 reported that he had been cleared by air traffic control (ATC) to taxi to the runway for departure. During taxi down the airport’s only taxiway to the runway, the airplane encountered a jet blast from a parked CRJ 700. The airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The operator of the CRJ 700 reported that the airplane had just undergone repairs and their mechanics were functional testing the engines at takeoff power. The mechanics did not move the airplane away from the passenger terminal and did not notify ATC of their intent to perform the engine run. After the mechanics had brought both engines to takeoff power, the Cessna 182 taxied behind the CRJ 700 and encountered the jet blast. The Airport Planning Manual for the CRJ 700 identifies zones and distances that should be considered dangerous during engine operation. With maximum thrust set on one engine, the airplane can produce 60 mph jet blast 290 ft away from the engine. The estimated distance between the Cessna 182 and CRJ 700 was 240 ft at the time of the accident. According to the operator of the CRJ 700, the mechanics were required to contact ATC before beginning ground engine runs. The airport manager stated that there were no policies or procedures indicating what areas of the airport were designated for high power engine runs.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.