Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fruit Heights, Utah 84037
Saturday, January 16, 1993 11:29 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT DEPARTED AND HEADED NORTH TOWARD OGDEN, UTAH IN DETERIORATING METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. HE LATER REQUESTED VECTORS INTO SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT, THEN OGDEN, BEFORE DECLARING THAT HE WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS AND REQUESTING A HEADING AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A STEEP MOUNTAINOUS SLOPE WHILE MANEUVERING. LOCAL WEATHER REPORTS OBSERVED RAIN, SNOW, AND FOG, AS WELL AS REDUCED VISIBILITY IN THE AREA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS WAS ATTEMPTED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS INCLUDE RAIN, SNOW, AND FOG.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/16/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1129
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City FRUIT HEIGHTS
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 84037
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 1
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1143 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 190
Weather Observation Facility ID SLC
Elevation of weather observation facility 4227
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 700
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 340
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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) 191
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 16 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1116
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50535
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:07PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8004K
NTSB Number SEA93LA054
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 STINSON
Aircraft Model 108-2
Aircraft Series Identifier 108-2
Aircraft Serial Number 108-3004
Certified Max Gross Weight 2400
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 11 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 79
Airframe Hours 1977
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name THURSTON, CURTIS L.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 333 WEST 3100 SOUTH
Aircraft Owner City BOUNTIFUL
Aircraft Owner State UT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 84010
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THURSTON, CURTIS L.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 333 WEST 3100 SOUTH
Operator City BOUNTIFUL
Operator State UT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 84010
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 BTF
Departure City BOUNTIFUL
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1100
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OGD
Destination City OGDEN
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 --