Cessna 182D accident near Heber, AZ
On January 1, 2006, a Cessna 182D (airplane) was involved in an accident near Heber, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 1, 2006
- Place
- Heber, AZ
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182D · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.546°N, 110.936°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060112X00060
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 31, 2005, approximately 1930 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182D, N182GV, owned and operated by Gunnison Valley Aviation, LLC., and piloted by a private pilot, impacted terrain 21 miles northwest of Heber, Arizona. A post impact fire ensued. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The cross-country flight departed Durango, Colorado, at 1730, and was en route to Scottsdale (SDL), Arizona. The accident flight was not under positive radar control and was not receiving Air Route Traffic Control Services. The airplane was reported missing by concerned family members and an ALNOT (alert notification) was issued on January 1, 2006, at 0143. Local search and rescue teams initiated air and ground searches. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office located the wreckage in the Apache Sitgreaves Forest, approximately 1600 on January 3, 2006. According to the pilot's family, he was traveling to Arizona to visit a family member in the hospital. The family member had been admitted to the hospital 3 times over the past 8 weeks and was in intensive care. The family reported that the pilot went skiing the morning of the accident and departed Gunnison that afternoon. He made a refueling stop in Durango, Colorado, where the airplane was topped off. Family members reported that the pilot called them just south of Holbrook and stated he would be later than expected due to headwinds. PERSONNEL IN
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain. Contributing factors included the pilot's lack of night flying experience and the dark night.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
- Cessna 402C, Jun 19, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Aug 17, 1983
- Piper PA-31-350, Feb 13, 1995
- Cessna 421C, Sep 2, 1995
Browse: Arizona · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
