Cessna 182A accident near Buckeye, Arizona, March 30, 2008
On March 30, 2008, a Cessna 182A, registered N5931B, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Buckeye, Arizona (Buckeye Municipal Airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2008
- Place
- Buckeye, Arizona · Buckeye Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N5931B · no longer on the register · serial 33931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning to the departure airport following the release of skydivers. The airplane was on a straight in approach to the runway during windy conditions when the engine lost power. The pilot applied full throttle but the engine did not respond. Due to the wind conditions, the pilot was unable to glide the airplane to the runway and force-landed in a field. During the landing in the soft terrain, the nose gear broke off and the wings impacted the ground. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and test ran the engine following the accident. No operational or mechanical anomalies were observed.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 755 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 755 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,952 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2008; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBXK Buckeye AZ
- Destination: KBXK Buckeye AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.