Accident Details
A single-engine airplane operating a local touristic flight departed Grand Canyon-National Park Airport with six passengers and one pilot on board. Minutes after takeoff, the engine failed. The pilot initiated an emergency landing, but the airplane crash landed in a field near Tusayan, Arizona.
Injuries and Damage
The aircraft was destroyed in the accident. All seven occupants sustained serious injuries.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation identified the probable cause as an engine malfunction during traffic pattern-circling due to mismanagement of fuel. Contributing factors included fuel starvation, obstructed selector valves, rough/uneven terrain, and a forced landing off airport on land. The investigation noted that the right fuel tank contained 15–20 gallons of fuel and the left tank 2 gallons; there was no fuel flow from the selector in the right tank position.