Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Montezuma Crk, Utah 84534
Monday, September 14, 1998 8:20 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane was on a cross-country pipeline inspection flight which required the pilot to fly at a altitude 100 to 150 feet agl. The airplane was observed to start climbing to near vertical with a left turn and then went over the top, spinning to the ground. One witness reported seeing the airplane many times before, and she had observed it flying 90 degree knife edges and performing vertical pop-up turns. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's attempted aerobatic maneuver and the subsequent inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was his intentional low altitude flight.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/14/1998
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 820
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City MONTEZUMA CRK
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 84534
Event Date Year 1998
Event Date Month 9
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 853 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 80
Weather Observation Facility ID CEZ
Elevation of weather observation facility 5914
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 32
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
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) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 5246
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1544
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 14 1998 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Feb 23 2001 1:55PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N737NH
NTSB Number FTW98FA399
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier 172N
Aircraft Serial Number 17269542
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 25 1998 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 83
Airframe Hours 3984
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FOUR CORNERS AVAITION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1260 W. NAVAJO
Aircraft Owner City FARMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State NM
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 87401
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 GONA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FMN
Departure City FARMINGTON
Departure State NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 650
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code IGM
Destination City KINGMAN
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 23 2001 1:55PM
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 --