Las Vegas - Grand Canyon

On August 17, 1983 at 12:27 PM, Las Vegas - Grand Canyon experienced a crash involving Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, operated by Las Vegas Airlines, with the event recorded near Peach Springs Arizona.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 10 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 9, passenger fatalities: 9, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Las Vegas, NV as the 2nd of 5 aircraft on a scheduled Grand Canyon sightseeing flight. The 1st portion of the flight was over the Las Vegas strip area and Lake Mead and was uneventful. However, weather conditions precluded the pilot from continuing over the Shivwits plateau. Radio conversations between the pilot and other company aircrews indicated that the pilot of N88LV had encountered deteriorating weather conditions in the canyon and that he had decided to abort the flight and climb out. Later attempts to contact the aircraft were unsuccessful. The wreckage was found on 8/18/83 where the aircraft had collided on the west wall of a mesa inside the canyon. A helicopter pilot flying about 14 miles north of the crash site reported clouds at ground level (4,500 feet msl). The elevation of the accident site was 6,320 feet. Shortly before his last transmission, the pilot stated he was 'just short of Twin Peaks.' The pilot had transmitted his position from Peach VOR, indicating he was in the area of the crash site. Twin Peaks was northeast and had similar terrain. All 10 occupants were killed. Crew: Wallace S. Gustafson Jr., pilot. Passengers: Enrico Annibali, Maria Vittoria Annibali, Giancarlo Annibali, Luciano Annibali, Guliana Ranieri-Annibali, Francesca Annibali, Federica Annibali, Stefano Annibali, Daniele Vernava. Photos: https://www.lostflights.com/Grand-Canyon-Aviation/81783-Las-Vegas-Airlines-Piper/

Aircraft reference details include registration N88LV, MSN 31-7752118, year of manufacture 1977.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 35.5253°, -113.4416°.