Cessna 182M accident near Seligman, Arizona, October 8, 1993
On October 8, 1993 at about 5:21 pm local time, a Cessna 182M, registered N91849, was destroyed in an accident near Seligman, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the separation of the carburetor float and needle valve from the upper half of the carburetor bowl, due to improper installation of the float kit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1993 · about 5:21 pm local time
- Place
- Seligman, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · all 182Ms on the register
- Registration
- N91849 · no longer on the register · serial 18259933
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his wife had traveled in their Cessna 182 from the east coast to the west coast on a vacation. About an hour into a return flight leg, the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power over a remote area of northern Arizona. The pilot attempted an emergency landing on a cattle ranch. Ranch personnel stated that the engine was running erratically. The airplane collided with a telephone wire and a berm, which obscured a natural wash. The nose gear was sheared off, the airplane went inverted, and impacted the far side of the wash. The engine was shipped to the manufacturer. After minor repairs, the engine was started and shut down after fuel was observed running out of the carburetor throat. Internal examination of the carburetor revealed that the two screws that hold the float and needle valve in position had backed out. The carburetor was disassembled and the float replaced in compliance with a service bulletin 250 hours prior to the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,265 hours in all; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,790 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 1993; 31 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: LAS Las Vegas NV at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from PRC, 28 miles away
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.