Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tremonton, Utah 84337
Thursday, February 9, 1995 18:21 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT INTENDED TO LAND AT AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT AT NIGHT. THE AIRPORT HAD NO INSTRUMENT APPROACHES. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN ABOVE AN OVERCAST LAYER OF CLOUDS. THE PILOT INFORMED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) THAT HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO FIND A 'HOLE' IN THE OVERCAST AND ATTEMPT A VISUAL APPROACH INTO THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. THE PILOT THEN STATED THAT HE COULD NOT FIND A HOLE; HE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO A LARGER CONTROLLED AIRPORT. ON HIS WAY TO THE CONTROLLED AIRPORT, HE STATED THAT HE FOUND A 'HOLE' AND ATTEMPTED A VISUAL APPROACH TO THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. HE RECEIVED A CRUISE CLEARANCE FROM ATC FOR 12,000 FEET MSL, AND THEN DESCENDED AT 2,280 FEET PER MINUTE BEFORE IMPACTING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 6,200 FEET MSL. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO DISTRESS CALLS FROM THE AIRPLANE WERE RECORDED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO CONDUCT VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE WITH THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS WERE THE CLOUDS, AND THE DARK NIGHT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/9/1995
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1821
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City TREMONTON
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 84337
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1829 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 135
Weather Observation Facility ID BMC
Elevation of weather observation facility 4226
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 4100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 5
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 461
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 9 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:03PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N57NW
NTSB Number SEA95FA048
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-601P
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-601P
Aircraft Serial Number 07758063388
Certified Max Gross Weight 6000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 20 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2100
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MISTYSTAR, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 5770
Aircraft Owner City LAKELAND
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33807
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PUB
Departure City PUEBLO
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1546
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code U27
Destination City
Destination State UT
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --