Cessna 182H accident near Tucson, Arizona, November 12, 2017
On November 12, 2017 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 182H, registered N8515S, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to use taxiways shown on the airport diagrams and his subsequent failure to avoid a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2017 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182H H, built 1965 · all 182Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8515S · registry record · serial 18256615
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,290 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,031 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 28, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O470 (piston); 586 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: San Quintin at 5:00 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KTUS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2018. 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 | Airport Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Location Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.