Cessna 182P accident near Yucca, Arizona, October 18, 2012
On October 18, 2012 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N20939, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Yucca, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to take corrective action to avoid terrain during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2012 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Yucca, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N20939 · no longer on the register · serial 18261309
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before takeoff on the first flight following an annual inspection, a witness talked with the pilot about the work just completed and accompanied the pilot to the airplane. He observed the pilot check the fuel level and said the pilot indicated that there was adequate fuel on board for the flight to his home airport. The pilot then boarded the airplane and taxied for takeoff. A GPS track of the flight indicated that the airplane took off to the northwest, then turned north-northeast then northeast and began to follow an interstate on a relatively straight flight path; the airplane then began a gradual descent before colliding with terrain. On-site examination indicated that the airplane impacted the terrain in a level, upright attitude. It could not be determined why the pilot did not take corrective action to avoid terrain. On-site and a follow-up examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The county medical examiner performed a visual examination only of the pilot. Based on the limited information available, there is no evidence to suggest a medical condition contributed 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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 780 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2012; 0 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors, Inc O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Havasu AZ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Fort Mohave AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from KIGM, 30 miles away
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.