Cessna 402C accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, August 9, 1991
On August 9, 1991 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N161TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona (Grand Canyon airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE AIRPORT OPERATOR TO DEVELOP ANIMAL CONTROL PROCEDURES FOR THE AIRPORT PROPERTY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1991 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · Grand Canyon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N161TA · registry record · serial 0070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID HE WAS NEAR ROTATION SPEED ON THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL WHEN AN ELK SUDDENLY RAN ONTO THE RUNWAY IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SAID THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO AVOID HITTING THE ANIMAL. THE GRAND CANYON AIRPORT IS IN A HEAVILY FORESTED MOUNTAIN AREA. THERE ARE NO FENCES WHICH SURROUND THE AIRPORT COMPLEX. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 3,800 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,850 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSI0-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 8,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.