Cessna 182G accident near Portal, Arizona, November 4, 1990
On November 4, 1990 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N3431S, was destroyed in an accident near Portal, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 1990 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Portal, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3431S · no longer on the register · serial 18255831
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED DOUGLAS, ARIZONA TO FLY TO THE CHIRAQUAWA MOUNTAINS TO LOCATE A BUSINESS ACQUAINTANCE WHO WAS DEER HUNTING. WHILE CIRCLING THE AREA HE INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO A NARROW, BLIND CANYON. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AIRPLANE AND BEGAN TO CLIMB. REALIZING THAT A CRASH WAS IMMINENT HE INTENTIONALLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN. BOTH OCCUPANTS, ALTHOUGH SERIOUSLY INJURED, WALKED OUT OF THE AREA AND WERE RESCUED 4 DAYS LATER.
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: 664 in this make and model
- 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: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DUG Douglas AZ at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.