Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Moab, Utah 84532
Tuesady, July 18, 2000 14:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 21 year old private pilot received his certificate 16 days before the accident, and had logged about 150 total flight hours, 67 hours in type. His 44 year old pilot rated passenger was a local charter pilot and said to be thoroughly familiar with the surrounding terrain. Both pilots were avid 'BASE jumpers' (parachuting off of Bridges, Antennas, Structures, and Earth). The purpose of the flight was to scout for possible jump sites. The elevation at the airport was 4,553 feet msl, and the temperature was 93.2 degrees F. The computed density altitude was 7,407 feet msl. The airplane wreckage was found 5 days later on a talus slope at a 'Y' between two canyons at an elevation of 4,275 feet msl, or 145 feet above the floor of the canyon. The floor of the canyon was 4,130 feet msl, and the top of the canyon was at 5,243 feet msl. Examination of the accident site indicated the pilot was attempting to reverse course out of the canyon when the airplane impacted terrain. According to BLM personnel, temperatures in the canyons are considerably higher than at the airport.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot in command exercising poor judgment and exceeding the aircraft's turning capability. Contributing factors were the pilots' attention being diverted, flying into a known blind canyon, high temperature, and high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/18/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | MOAB |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84532 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 15 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CNY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4553 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| 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) | 34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 14 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7407 |
| 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) | 844 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NW OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 18 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2055 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7161L |
| NTSB Number | DEN00FA136 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman American |
| Aircraft Model | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA5-0461 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 31 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2469 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM D. FORD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 215 HOSPITAL RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRUSH |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80723 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CLINTON J. FORD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | EVANS |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80620 |
| 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 | CNY |
| Departure City | MOAB |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2001 4:09AM |
| 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 | -- |