Cessna 182 accident near Moab, Utah, May 28, 2007
On May 28, 2007 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N2164R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moab, Utah (Canyonlands Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering after takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2007 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Moab, Utah · Canyonlands Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N2164R · no longer on the register · serial 55364
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Just after takeoff, the pilot made a turn of almost 180 degrees to the right, and soon thereafter made a turn of almost 180 degrees to the left. The pilot was maneuvering in this manner in order to get a good view of the hangar/terminal area at the northeast end of the airport. After the accident, he did not remember anything after rolling out of the second turn. There were no witnesses to the aforementioned turn sequence, but an individual driving by on a nearby road saw the airplane impact the terrain just north of where the pilot remembers rolling out of the second turn. Although the witness, whose attention was focused on his driving, did not take notice of the airplane until just before it hit the ground, he said that it appeared to him that the pilot may have been attempting to turn back to the airport. He further stated that it appeared to him that one of the airplane's wings may have been the first part of the structure to hit the ground. The airframe and engine underwent partial teardown inspections, and no evidence of any malfunction or anomaly was found.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,700 hours in all; 1,510 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 8,771 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,666 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCNY Moab UT at 1:00 pm
- Destination: U34 Green River UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 7,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2164R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.