Cessna T240 accident near Payson, Arizona, October 14, 2018
On October 14, 2018 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna T240, registered N433CS, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Payson, Arizona (Payson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and a subsequent loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2018 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · Payson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T240 No Series · all T240s on the register
- Registration
- N433CS · no longer on the register · serial T24002033
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was approaching the airport for landing around dusk in visual meteorological conditions at the conclusion of a cross-country flight. Radar data depicted the airplane at 589 ft above ground level on a downwind leg for the runway at a groundspeed of 108 knots. The airplane then entered a right turn; however, rather than aligning with the runway on a final approach leg, the airplane continued the turn through 360° and continued on an extended downwind before entering another right turn. The airplane’s altitude and groundspeed was fluctuating throughout these maneuvers. Radar contact was lost near the accident site about 1 nautical mile from the end of the runway. The airplane impacted the ground in a vertical, nose-down attitude consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin. Damage signatures indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident, and examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Analysis of the radar data revealed that the radius of the airplane's final turn was about 700 ft, which would have required a bank angle of about 50° based on the airplane's approximate speed. The data are consistent with the pilot's failure to compensate for the increased load factor during the turn and a subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in a stall/spin from which the pilot was unable to recover given the airplane's low altitude.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all
- Last flight review: September 25, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GEU Glendale AZ at 1:15 am
- Destination: PAN Payson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,504 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from KPAN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.