Cessna 182Q accident near Kingman, Arizona, May 26, 2023
On May 26, 2023 at about 10:50 am local time, a 1978 Cessna 182Q, registered N94599, suffered minor damage in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Kingman, Arizona (Kingman Airport). It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the passenger to adequately maintain a safe distance from the airplane’s propeller and the determination to let the passenger exit the airplane with the engine running.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2023 · about 10:50 am local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Kingman, Arizona · Kingman Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q, built 1978 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N94599 · registry record · serial 18266458
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that on a night landing the airplane touched down smoothly on the main landing gear. During the landing roll, when the nose gear touched down, the airplane’s roll out became rough and bumpy. When the airplane came to a stop, the pilot and passenger discussed that they probably had a flat nose wheel tire. Subsequently, the passenger exited the airplane to examine the nose wheel tire and observed it to be flat. The pilot told the passenger to keep clear and then attempted to taxi clear of the runway. However, at a high-power setting, the airplane only moved a few feet, and the pilot elected to discontinue the taxi. The pilot was deciding what his next move would be when the passenger approached the airplane from the front. The pilot tried to warn the passenger but subsequently, the propeller struck the passenger and resulted in a serious injury.
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
- AC/prop/rotor contact w person during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Passenger
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the landing gear
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 929 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 92 in the last 30 days; 875 as pilot in command; 30 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 2, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 18, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ at 7:15 am
- Destination: IGM Kingman AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,725 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.83 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 am from KIGM
Weather report (METAR): METAR KIGM 261051Z AUTO 17008KT 10SM CLR 16/M01 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP037 T01561011
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on October 20, 2023. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N94599 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 182 Skylane 11,833 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES 12,779 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kingman Airport · nearest airport
- Flagstaff Pulliam Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 466 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,435 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR23LA207.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.