Cessna 182F accident near Young, Arizona, March 22, 1991
On March 22, 1991 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182F, registered N3458U, was destroyed in an accident near Young, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1991 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Young, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182F · all 182Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3458U · no longer on the register · serial 18254858
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE DEPARTURE AND DESTINATION WERE VFR. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE FORECASTED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. A SNOW STORM WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED TO BE ICING AND TURBULENCE, WITH MOUNTAINS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED OVERDUE AND LOCATED 3 WEEKS LATER. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO HAVE IMPACTED SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, AT HIGH SPEED, IN A NEAR VERTICAL, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
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: 332 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 266 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Arizona Air Enteprizes
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 2:15 pm
- Destination: SOW Showlow AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Observation at 2:46 pm from 0E4, 24 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.