Cessna 182L accident near Page, Arizona, November 12, 1988
On November 12, 1988 at about 11:06 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42908, was substantially damaged in an accident near Page, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE NUMBER FIVE CYLINDER PISTON, FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, INITIATING AN ENGINE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1988 · about 11:06 pm local time
- Place
- Page, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42908 · no longer on the register · serial 18259248
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT 12,500 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A CLEARING WHERE THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A LOG PILE & NOSED OVER. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBER FIVE PISTON HAD FAILED.
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: 137 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 98 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 17, 1988; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: INW Winslow AZ at 9:00 pm
- Destination: CDC Cedar City UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from PRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.