Cessna 182G accident near Eloy, Arizona, April 25, 2022
On April 25, 2022 at about 1:45 am local time, a 1963 Cessna 182G, registered N3694U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Eloy, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The unoccupied airplanes exceedance of the critical angle of attack which resulted in a stall, subsequent inverted spin, and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2022 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Eloy, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G, built 1963 · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3694U · registry record · serial 18255094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane was part of an exhibition event, the goal of which was for two pilots to fly two similarly equipped airplanes in a vertical dive, after which they would simultaneously bail out and transfer to the other airplane. The pilot of one airplane was able to successfully transfer to the other airplane and land without incident, however, the other pilot could not enter the second airplane because it entered an inverted spin shortly after egress. The pilot reported that he believed the airplane entered a spin due to the ballast that was added to offset the weight of the safety pilot. He added that the airplane was outfitted with a parachute system that was designed to trigger at an altitude of 1,000 ft, and deployed while the airplane was inverted, which resulted in it only being partially deployed when the airplane impacted the ground and was substantially damaged.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 5,569 hours in all; 66 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 5,209 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,505.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 14, 2022; 68.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KCGZ, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCGZ 250156Z AUTO 32006KT 10SM CLR 26/M14 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP120 T02611144
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR22LA165.