Mooney M20J accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, December 16, 1984
On December 16, 1984 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N4812H, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- December 16, 1984 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N4812H · no longer on the register · serial 24-0887
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AND WAS ADVISED OF MODERATE RIME AND MIXED ICING IN CLOUDS. HE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED. WHILE AT 12000 FT, HE REPORTED ENCOUNTERING SEVERE RIME ICE AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE. HE STATED THATHE WAS TRYING TO FLING OFF PROPELLER ICE WHEN RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WERE LOST. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN REMOTE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN BY A GROUND PARTY DIRECTED TO THE SITE BY AN AIR FORCE ACFT WHICH MONITERED A ELT SIGNAL.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 12:05 pm
- Destination: CDC Cedar City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:53 pm from PRC, 108 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.