Cessna 182RG accident near Beaver Dam, Arizona, April 6, 1996
On April 6, 1996 at about 3:54 am local time, a Cessna 182RG, registered N600CT, was destroyed in an accident near Beaver Dam, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an engine failure due to oil starvation resulting from the pilot's improper aircraft preflight. A factor relating to the accident was: failure of the operator to ascertain that proper maintenance was performed after the airplane's high oil consumption rate was reported.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1996 · about 3:54 am local time
- Place
- Beaver Dam, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182RG · all 182RGs on the register
- Registration
- N600CT · registry record · serial 18200441
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While flying at 12,500 feet msl over a mountainous area, the engine propeller began to overspeed, and then the engine quit. The pilot executed an emergency landing, and the airplane collided with a tree. Examination of the engine revealed that Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 connecting rods separated and their journals displayed oil starvation and high temperature distress signatures. The examination also showed that the oil consumption emanated from the No. 6 cylinder. The airplane squawk list and previous fueling records showed that the engine had a high oil consumption rate. The pilot that flew the airplane on a flight a week before the accident reported that in a 5-hour flight, the engine consumed 10 quarts of oil. One of the passengers reported that she saw the pilot check the oil before departing on the accident flight. The accident pilot said that the oil level was between 7 and 8 quarts before departing on the accident flight; he told his insurers that the oil level was about 5 quarts before departing on the last segment of the accident flight. The pilot said that he checked the oil by pulling the dipstick once. The pilot that previously flew the airplane said that he had to insert and remove the oil dipstick three times before obtaining an accurate level. He said that the oil viscosity on the dipstick tube was so thick it indicated a higher level.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 303 hours in all; 245 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GCN Grand Canyon AZ at 2:01 am
- Destination: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.