Cessna 182 accident near Goodyear, Arizona, December 22, 2019
On December 22, 2019 at about 1:22 am local time, a 1963 Cessna 182, registered N3371U, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Goodyear, Arizona (Phoenix Goodyear airport). 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 maintain clearance from power lines due to his impairment from cannabis.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2019 · about 1:22 am local time
- Place
- Goodyear, Arizona · Phoenix Goodyear · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 F, built 1963 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3371U · no longer on the register · serial 18254717
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed his home airport about an hour after sunset for a flight to test the automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast system that had been recently updated on the airplane. Radar data indicated the airplane flew for about 4 minutes on a southwest heading then flew a figure-eight pattern before heading back toward the airport on a northeast heading. The airplane appeared to be on approach to the airport when it impacted umarked and unlit high-tension power lines about 1 mile south of the airport. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology results suggest the pilot had recently used cannabis based on the relative ratios of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (the main psychoactive component in cannabis) and its metabolites. Specific performance effects of cannabis include decreased ability to concentrate and maintain attention. Impairment in retention time and tracking, subjective sleepiness, distortion of time and distance, vigilance, and loss of coordination in divided attention tasks have been reported. The specific impairing effects from the pilot’s recent use of cannabis likely included impaired judgment and slowed reaction time, which contributed to his unsafe altitude while still 1 mile from the runway, resulting in the impact with the power lines.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 511.7 hours in all; 323.2 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 13, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:25 pm from KGYR, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KGYR 220125Z 02006KT 10SM SCT200 16/M03 A3013 RMK ACFT MSHP=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on November 1, 2022. 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 | Medical Factual | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Sun/moon Information (Usn) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (FAA) - Fuel | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation (Salyer) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Summary of Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Cessna Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Continental Report | PDF, 27 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Raw radar Data | data file | Download |
| 9 | Video File | video | View Download |
| 10 | Video of Accident | video | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | 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.