Cessna 401 accident near Near Globe, Arizona, March 24, 1983
On March 24, 1983 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 401, registered N401G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Near Globe, Arizona. It was a personal 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).
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
- March 24, 1983 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Near Globe, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401 · all 401s on the register
- Registration
- N401G · registry record · serial 0310
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CRUISING AT 13000 FEET MSL ON A CROSS COUNTRY WHEN THE ENGINES LOST POWER. THE PILOT HAD BEEN USING FUEL FROM THE MAIN TANKS FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER BEING ON THE AUX. TANKS FOR THE PREVIOUS HOUR. THE PILOT RESTARTED BOTH ENGINES ON THE AUX. TANKS AND USED THESE TANKS UNTIL THEY RAN DRY. HE THEN SWITCHED BACK TO MAIN TANKS AND AFTER 3 MINUTES THE ENGINES LOST POWER. THE FIRST POWER LOSS OCCURRED JUST AFTER THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED LIGHT ICING. AFTER THIS FIRST POWER LOSS ALBUQUERQUE CENTER WANTED TO VECTOR ACFT TO GLOBE AIRPORT BUT PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON TO PHOENIX. AFTER THE 2ND LOSS OF POWER THE PILOT HAD TO LAND OFF AIRPORT ON A SAND BAR. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND FUEL SYSTEM FAILED TO REVEAL ANY REASON FOR POWER LOSS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,700 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 4,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,861 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1982; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q64 Albuquerque NM at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N401G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 LAX83LA157.