Cessna R182 accident near Grovont, Wyoming, October 7, 1983
On October 7, 1983 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna R182, registered N7039W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grovont, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1983 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grovont, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N7039W · registry record · serial R18200050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKING OFF, THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED WHEN HE RETRACTED THE GEAR. HE CONTINUED EN ROUTE WHILE TRYING TO GET A SAFE INDICATION. SUBSEQUENTLY, APRX 20 MI EAST OF THE DEPARTURE POINT, HE ELECTED TO ENTEND THE GEAR & RETURN TO THE ARPT. AFTER INITIATING A TURN BACK TO THE WEST, HE HEARD A LOUD BANGING OR KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. ABOUT 30 SEC LATER, THE ENG COMPLETELY LOST POWER. HE FOUND AN AREA OF RELATIVELY FLAT TERRAIN AMONG STEEP MOUNTAIN RIDGES & ELECT TO LAND THERE. DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT BOUNCED & SLID TO A STOP ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN POINT. A SUBSEQUENT ENG TEARDOWN & METALLURGICAL EXAM REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE AT THE CHEEK JUST FORWARD OF THE #3 BEARING. THE ACFT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN A MISHAP ON 1/19/80, IN WHICH, THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED. REPORTEDLY, THE ENG HAD NO POWER & THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING DURING A LANDING IMPACT ON 1/19/80.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 233 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 196 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,076 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1983; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson WY at 10:30 pm
- Destination: LAR Laramie WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN84LA005.