Cessna 337B accident near Sedona, Arizona, May 30, 1983
On May 30, 1983 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 337B, registered N2368S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- May 30, 1983 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337B · all 337Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2368S · registry record · serial 337-0668
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT MADE A FORCED LANDING AND COLLIDED WITH A PINE TREE AFTER A TAKEOFF WITH A TOW BAR ATTACHED TO THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ATTACHED A TOW BAR TO GET THE ACFT LEVEL TO MEASURE THE OIL QUANTITY IN THE ENGINE. AFTER THEPREFLT INSPECTION HE TAXIED OUT AND DEPARTED. AT THIS ARPT ALL DEPARTURES ARE ON RWY 21 AND ALL LANDINGS ARE ON RWY 3. THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROCEDURE. AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT WAS INFORMED BY RADIO THAT A TOW BAR WAS ATTACHED TOHIS NOSE GEAR AND WAS IN A TRAILING POSITION. FOLLOWING A FLYBY THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RWY 21. ON FINAL APPROACHHE FEATHERED HIS FRONT ENGINE TO PRECLUDE DAMAGE DURING LANDING. HE WAS INFORMED BY RADIO HE WAS LANDING DOWNWIND. HE TRIED TO GO AROUND AND RESTART HIS ENGINE. WITH THE GEAR EXTENDED THE ACFT FAILED TO CLIMB. AS THE PILOT TRIED TO START THE ENGINE AND LINE UP ON RWY 3 HE WAS LOSING ALT AND AIRSPEED. ALMOST STALLING HE DECIDED TO LAND IN AN ADJACENT ROUGH FIELD. THE ACFT STOPPED AFTER IMPACTING A PINE TREE. DENSITY ALT WAS 7580 FT. THE ACFT WAS WITHIN 200 # OF GROSS WEIGHT.
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
- MISCELLANEOUS/OTHER during takeoff - initial climb
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(TOTAL) - NONMECHANICAL during landing - flare/touchdown
- FORCED LANDING during landing - flare/touchdown
- ON GROUND/WATER COLLISION WITH OBJECT during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, APLN
- Flight time: 703 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,016 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, May 20, 1983; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,135 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX83LA250.