Cessna T182T accident near Paulden, Arizona, May 15, 2004
On May 15, 2004, a Cessna T182T, registered N5341G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paulden, Arizona (Private Airstrip airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2004
- Place
- Paulden, Arizona · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T182T · all T182Ts on the register
- Registration
- N5341G · registry record · serial T18208195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane touched down hard while landing at a private airstrip. The student pilot stated he flew around his farm and was coming in for landing at his private airstrip. The runway is oriented on a 120-degree magnetic heading. He indicated he had a "slight crosswind," but felt confident he could handle it. He said that during the landing flare, the airplane encountered a "dust devil," which "porpoised the airplane up." The pilot noticed the airspeed drop to zero, so he elected to continue with the landing instead of attempting a go-around at a low airspeed. The airplane impacted the ground damaging the main landing gear, the wings, and the empennage. The closest aviation weather reporting facility, which is approximately 13 miles south of the accident site, reported the wind from 250 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The student reported having accumulated a total of 60 flight hours, of which approximately 35 hours were in the accident airplane. The pilot reported there were no anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AK1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Paulden AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PRC, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.