Cessna R182 accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, April 19, 2023
On April 19, 2023 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna R182, registered N4166C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Grand Canyon, Arizona (Valle airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2023 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · Valle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182, built 1978 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N4166C · registry record · serial R18200334
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a cross-country flight when, about an hour into the flight, he noticed that the fuel was only being drawn from the left tank. He decided to conduct a precautionary landing at an en route airport. During the approach, the engine was “acting up” and he decided to add full power to perform a go-around. The engine then lost power, the airplane stalled, and both wings and the empennage impacted the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s fuel system and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions were not conducive to the formation of carburetor ice. The cause of the inaccurate draining of the right wing fuel tank and the loss of power could not be determined.
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
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
- Fuel related during enroute
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 266 hours in all; 131 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 24, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,185 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 18, 2021; 16.6 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 1,195 hours total
- Operator: Edwards Construction LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: A09 Bullhead City AZ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 40G Grand Canyon AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 01/1, 4,199 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 16 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KGCN
Weather report (METAR): KGCN 192054Z 25016G25KT 10SM CLR 11/M13 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP100 T01111128 51005
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on March 19, 2025. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Memorandum-initial Interviews | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Memorandum-followup Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Icing Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array-onsite (Courtesy of the Airport Manager) | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Ntsb-wreckage Examination Summary Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Textron Aviation-tech Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Marvel Schebler-fuel Flow Evaluation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Email-faa Oversight of Carburetor Testing | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Email-recovery Efforts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-textron Aviation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | 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.