Accident Overview
On August 13, 2022, at about 1619 mountain standard time, a Cessna T207A airplane, registered as N9582M, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Page, Arizona. The pilot received minor injuries; two passengers were fatally injured, two passengers were seriously injured, and one passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 air tour flight.
Witness Accounts
According to witnesses, the accident airplane was the first in a flight of five airplanes on a scenic tour of the Lake Powell area, cruising at an altitude of about 1,000 to 2,000 feet above ground level. After nearly 30 minutes of flight and following a turn back toward the airport, the accident pilot made a distress call and reported that his engine lost power and he was ditching the airplane in Lake Powell. The airplane became submerged in the water; the two passengers who were fatally injured did not exit the airplane.
Rescue and Recovery
National Park Service boats, several nearby private boats, and a few helicopters responded to the accident site, located about 13 miles northeast of Page Municipal Airport (PGA) in Page, Arizona. The boats assisted survivors in the water. Once aboard a boat that recovered the survivors, witnesses overheard the pilot on the phone discussing that he had experienced an engine failure. An underwater remote observation vehicle surveyed the accident site a couple of days after the accident. All major components of the airplane were observed, and the airplane came to rest upright on the lake bottom about 100 feet below the surface.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident. The findings are restated below.