Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
West Jordan, Utah 84084
Thursday, December 31, 1998 15:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and a business client had departed Salt Lake City on the morning of the accident, and were planning to fly to Elko, Nevada, to pick up another business associate and bring him back for a business meeting. However, according to a supervisor at the Wendover Airport, the aircraft diverted there instead. FAA records indicate that the pilot was advised during each of his weather briefings that VFR flight was not recommended, with AIRMETs for icing and mountain obscuration. At the time of their departure from Wendover, the mountains to the east and west were obscured. During the return flight to Salt Lake City, the pilot contacted Flight Watch requesting assistance. He advised the briefer that he was in instrument conditions, stating that he felt disoriented and thought he was flying upside down. At 1515, radio and radar contact with the pilot were subsequently lost. The search for the missing aircraft was hampered due to deteriorating weather conditions in the area. The wreckage was located early the following morning. The outboard section of the right wing separated in flight and was found 400 yards from the main wreckage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's poor judgement by intentionally flying into instrument meteorological conditions without proper certification. Factors were the resulting spatial disorientation, the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft, the in-flight wing separation, and the existing weather conditions that included snow, obscuration and fog.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/31/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1515 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | WEST JORDAN |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84084 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | 1456 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 4 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SLC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4227 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5943 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| 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) | 1531 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 1 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| 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 | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7283P |
| NTSB Number | DEN99FA029 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-24-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-2426 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 2 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 3907 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARVA B. HOUSTON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2805 S. STATE STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84115 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MICHAEL H. WRAY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 9 EXCHANGE PL STE 900 |
| Operator City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 84111 |
| 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 | ENV |
| Departure City | WENDOVER |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | U42 |
| Destination City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Destination State | UT |
| 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 | -- |