NTSB Factual Report

On February 13, 1995, at 1536 MST, a Piper PA-31-350, N27245, operated by Las Vegas Airlines as flight 45, was destroyed during a forced landing approach at Tusayan, Arizona. The pilot and seven passengers received fatal injuries. Two passengers received serious injuries. The airplane, operating under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on demand charter flight, crashed about 2.5 miles northeast of the Grand Canyon Airport (GCN), Tusayan, Arizona. The flight was enroute to Las Vegas, Nevada. The pilot declared an emergency during the initial climb phase of flight after departure from runway 21.

The aircraft departed GCN at 1429 on a VFR company flight plan for Las Vegas, Nevada, as a return tour flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. Weather was reported as multiple ceiling layers with 7 miles visibility in rain showers, winds out of 200 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 29 knots, temperature 42 degrees and dew point 37 degrees. According to the ATC records, the airplane declared an emergency due to a loss of engine power. The airplane was not equipped with a CVR or FDR.

After the aircraft landed from its sightseeing flight into the Grand Canyon area, it sat on the ground for 3 hours. No fuel or maintenance was performed on the aircraft before it departed. The operator was on an FAA Approved Airplane Inspection Program (AAIP) and maintenance records revealed that, on February 12, 1995, the engines were inspected in accordance with event number 6 and cycle number 1 of an 8 event 4 cycle maintenance program.

NTSB Probable Cause

a loss of power on one engine for an undetermined reason(s), and the pilot's improper decision to return to the departure airport for landing which neccessitated maneuvering over increasingly higher terrain. Factors in the accident were: the high gusting wind, the high density altitude, the rising terrain, and the reduced single-engine performance capability of the airplane under these conditions.