Cessna 182A accident near Safford, Arizona, November 24, 2016
On November 24, 2016 at about 3:50 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 182A, registered N6077B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Safford, Arizona (Safford Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 5 piston, piston pin, or connecting rod assembly for reasons that could not be determined due to the severity of the post fracture damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2016 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Safford, Arizona · Safford Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A A, built 1957 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N6077B · no longer on the register · serial 34077
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, during cruise flight, he noticed the oil pressure begin to fluctuate and he decided to return to the departure airport. As the airplane neared the airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the pilot initiated an off-airport forced landing. During the landing roll, the airplane struck two dirt berms and the nose landing gear collapsed. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the connecting rods, pistons, piston pins, bearings, and bushings in cylinder Nos. 5 and 6 exhibited numerous fractures and severe deformation. Due to the widespread postfracture damage to many of the fracture surfaces, it was not possible to determine which component fractured first. The No. 5 cylinder connecting rod and cap were severely deformed and battered. The piston pin had fractured in multiple places, and the underside of the piston exhibited gouging consistent with impact from adjacent components. In addition, the skirt and pin boss of the piston had fractured in multiple locations. The features on these fracture surfaces were generally consistent with having fractured in and around the pin boss; therefore, the likely initial point of failure in cylinder No. 5 was either the piston pin boss, the piston pin, or the pin side of the connecting rod. Based on the degree of damage observed, the components in the No. 5 cylinder likely began to fracture first, followed by fractures in the No. 6 cylinder.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,140 hours in all; 954 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 13,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 19, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,243.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAD Safford AZ at 3:15 pm
- Destination: Holbrook AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from KSAD, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on July 5, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Continental Motors Inc. Report | PDF, 23 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.