Cessna 207A accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, May 13, 1991
On May 13, 1991 at about 8:19 pm local time, a Cessna 207A, registered N6280H, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 7 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
DETONATION (OR PRE-IGNITION) IN THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER, WHICH RESULTED IN EROSION (BURNING) OF THE NUMBER 1 PISTON AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 1991 · about 8:19 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N6280H · registry record · serial 207-00463
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA ABOUT 8 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. EVIDENCE AT THE WRECKAGE SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE CRASHED THROUGH THE TREES AT A GLIDE ANGLE OF 8 DEGREES. THE GLIDE ANGLE FOR A POWER-OFF FORCED LANDING IS 6 DEGREES ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK. THE PROPELLER DID NOT EXHIBIT ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE #1 CYLINDER HAD CATASTROPHIC DETONATION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,168 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 1,070 as pilot in command; 919 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Air Grand Canyon
The flight
- Departed from: GCN Grand Canyon AZ
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:55 pm from GCN, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 LAX91FA213.