Cessna C-177RG accident near Sedona, Arizona, August 30, 1983
On August 30, 1983 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna C-177RG, registered N1845Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona airport). It was a business 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 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1983 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna C-177RG
- Registration
- N1845Q · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT INSTEAD OF USING THE CUSTOMARY 80 KT APPROACH SPEED HE USED 110 KTS WITH 30 DEG OF FLAPS. ON SHORT FINAL HE WAS STILL HIGH BUT DECIDED TO LAND ANYWAY. HE FORCED THE ACFT ONTO THE RWY & THE ACFT BEGAN TO PORPOISE. UNABLETO RECOVER FROM THE PORPOISING, HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND, INADVERTENTLY RETRACTING THE FLAPS TO 0 DEG INSTEAD OF 10 DEG. THE ACFT MUSHED INTO BRUSH IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE PLT LATER STATED HE HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE LANDING ON ARPTS ATOP MESAS, & HAD NOT PRACTICED GO-AROUND PROCEDURES SINCE OBTAINING HIS CERTIFICATE ALMOST TWO YEARS BEFORE. RWY 3 HAS A 1.9% UPWARD SLOPE. ACCORDING TO ARPT PERSONNEL, BECAUSE OF THIS RWY'S SLOPE, IT IS GENERALLY USED EVEN WHEN SLIGHT TAILWIND CONDITIONS EXIST.
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: 124 hours in all; 124 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 92 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,216 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1982; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 004 Carson City NV at 1:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,135 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 3 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.