Grumman TBM-3 accident near Fort Apache, Arizona, May 6, 2018
On May 6, 2018 at about 8:38 pm local time, a 1945 Grumman TBM-3, registered N337VT, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fort Apache, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2018 · about 8:38 pm local time · cases in 2018
- Place
- Fort Apache, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman TBM-3 E, built 1945 · all TBM-3s on the register
- Registration
- N337VT · no longer on the register · serial 53337
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were conducting a cross-country flight in the pilot's newly-purchased and refurbished World War II-era airplane when the engine experienced vibrations, smoke, an oil leak, and a partial loss of power. The airplane was over remote, rugged, tree-covered terrain with no emergency landing areas, and the occupants, who were wearing emergency parachutes, egressed about 1,500 ft above ground level. Both the pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries during their landings under parachute. Radar data indicated that the airplane continued a steady descent into terrain. The wreckage was never located despite numerous searches; therefore, the engine could not be examined and the reason for the loss of engine power or smoke and vibrations could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,850 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Unknown (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,060.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 28, 2018; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R 2600-20 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: A39 Maricopa AZ at 7:51 pm
- Destination: ABQ Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KCNY, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 26, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 16 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Record of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA radar Plot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Logbook Entries | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N337VT: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Grumman TBM-3 40 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman 443 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Wright R 2600-20 9 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ak-Chin Regional · departed from
- Albuquerque International Sunport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 468 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,431 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC18LA034.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.