ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 8702
Last updated: 11 May 2020
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| Date: | 16-OCT-1971 |
| Time: | 09:45 |
| Type: |  Cessna 402 |
| Owner/operator: | Scenic Airlines |
| Registration: | N3250Q |
| C/n / msn: | 402-0050 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Shivwits Plateau, Grand Canyon, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT) |
| North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT) |
On October 16, 1971, a Cessna 402 (N3250Q) departed from North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT) en-route to Grand Canyon National Park Airport (KGCN). The air tour flight was being operated by Scenic Airlines and was scheduled to be 90 minutes in duration. Pilot Wayne Leeth age 46, had flown the route more than 600 times and had more than 2,400 hours total time with 415 hours in the Cessna 402.
A fast moving cold front brought snow showers and low visibility that morning as the flight of four tour aircraft made their way eastbound through the canyon. With the ceiling and visibility dropping, the four planes began to turn back for Las Vegas. Captain Leeth was the last aircraft to turn around after attempting to make it over the Shivwits Plateau near Parashant Canyon. Captain Leeth's last radio call was that he was turning back due to weather. The time was 9:45 AM.
With only three of his four planes safely back on the ramp, a concerned John Siebold (Scenic Airlines owner) began to take the steps in an attempt to locate the overdue aircraft. Without success, the official search was under way by 2:00 PM. The weather continued to hamper the search efforts and it wasn't until the next day around noon that the scattered wreckage of N3250Q was discovered on a snow covered plateau. All ten persons on-board were killed.
Sources:
NTSB
https://www.lostflights.com/Grand-Canyon-Aviation/101671-Scenic-Airlines-Cessna
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Feb-2008 12:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 14-Dec-2008 11:49 | Mike McComb | Updated |
| 05-Dec-2016 21:34 | TB | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 22-May-2019 08:49 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 11-May-2020 09:58 | The2ndBaron | Updated [Phase] |
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