History of Flight
On July 20, 2014, about 1530 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182L, N42474, collided with terrain in Fay Canyon near Sedona, Arizona. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire. The airplane was registered to Pipe Dream Aviation LLC and operated by the private pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Flagstaff Pulliam Airport about 1430 with a destination of Sedona Airport (SEZ).
Multiple witnesses in Fay Canyon reported that the airplane flew in from the top of the canyon. One witness heard the engine accelerate, then become quiet, and accelerate again, followed by an explosion. Another witness saw the airplane above the tree line at the end of the canyon before losing sight of it in the trees. A 9-1-1 call recorded a hiker on Bear Mountain stating that an airplane was flying in the area and shortly after, smoke rose from a nearby canyon.
Personnel Information
The 22-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. His third-class medical certificate was issued November 19, 2010, with no limitations. On his last medical application, he reported 10 total hours and 10 hours in the last six months. According to family members, the pilot had about 170 hours total flight time, with about 40 hours in the accident airplane. His flight logbook was not found.
Aircraft Information
The 4-seat, high-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, serial number 18259032, was manufactured in 1968. It was powered by a Continental O-470 modified to a P. Ponk O-470-50 engine (serial number 191847-8-R/2735) and equipped with a McCauley adjustable blade propeller (model 2A34C66-NP). The most recent annual inspection was completed February 7, 2014, at an airframe total time of 3,029.8 hours and engine time since major overhaul of 126.1 hours. On March 21, 2014, at 3,030.3 hours, the fuel vent/feed line couplings in the left and right wing roots were replaced.
Meteorological Information
Weather observations from Earnest A. Love Field (KPRC), 36 miles southwest, at 1453: wind 190° at 7 knots gusting to 19 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 31°C, dew point 2°C, altimeter 30.18 inHg. Observations from Sedona Airport (KSEZ), 6 miles southeast, at 1515: wind 250° at 8 gusting to 14 knots, variable 220° to 300°, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 32°C, dew point 2°C, altimeter 30.16 inHg. Using the canyon rim elevation (6,400 feet), the calculated density altitude was about 9,675 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by the NTSB revealed that the airplane impacted trees and terrain near the bottom of a steep rugged canyon. The first identified point of contact was an 18-inch-diameter tree that was uprooted. The debris path was about 100 feet long and 40 feet wide, on a 90° magnetic heading from the tree to the engine. Postcrash fire burned about 20 acres. The largest airframe members were wing spar sections measuring three to four feet. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed through tension overload separations near the mid-cabin area. Rudder control cables were continuous from cabin controls to rudder horn attachments. Remnants of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were found. The elevator trim actuator extension measured about 1-1/4 inches (neutral position). The flap actuator jack screw was found retracted. All flight control surfaces were thermally damaged and accounted for. The fuel selector valve was in the "Both" position. The engine was inverted with impact and thermal damage; mounting structure partially attached. The propeller assembly separated from the crankshaft flange; blades had thermal discoloration. One blade had about 6 inches missing from the tip and leading edge damage; the other had s-type bending and trailing edge damage. Examination of the engine on July 24, 2014, revealed no evidence of pre-collision mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office autopsy on July 22, 2014, determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma, with thermal injury contributing. FAA toxicology tests detected no drugs of abuse.