Aero Commander 112 accident near Mohave Valley, Arizona, August 6, 1994
On August 6, 1994 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Aero Commander 112, registered N1018J, was destroyed in an accident near Mohave Valley, Arizona (Laughlin/Bullhead City airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the certified flight instructor to properly judge the flare to avert a hard landing, and the failure of other maintenance personnel to properly repair the engine case halves during engine overhaul. A factor in the accident was the uneven relief of the desert terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1994 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mohave Valley, Arizona · Laughlin/Bullhead City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 112 · all 112s on the register
- Registration
- N1018J · no longer on the register · serial 18
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD AND FLIPPED OVER IN A DESERT WASH AFTER A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBER 4 PISTON CONNECTING ROD FAILED AS A RESULT OF LACK OF LUBRICATION. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DISCLOSED THE ENGINE CRANKCASE HALVES WERE REPAIRED DURING THE LAST ENGINE OVERHAUL. THE CASE HALVES WERE WELDED IN THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING (CENTER) AND NUMBER 4 MAIN BEARING (REAR) BOSSES. THE OIL SUPPLY HOLE THAT SUPPLIES OIL TO THE NUMBER 4 CONNECTING ROD WAS FOUND WELDED OVER AND NOT BORED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED 1,420 HOURS BEFORE 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,626 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 1994; 160 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IFP Bullhead City AZ at 10:36 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 115°F (46°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 am from IFP, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.