Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wendover Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wendover, Utah 84088
Saturday, April 14, 1990 23:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT STATED HE ACTIVATED THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS PRIOR TO TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, AND TAXIED FOR 'QUITE A WHILE' BECAUSE THE TAXIWAY IS NOT LIGHTED. HE BELIEVES THE LIGHTS WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE. THE RWY LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED FOR APRX 15 MIN AFTER ACTIVATION. THE SURVIVING PAX REMEMBERED THE AIRPLANE 'TUMBLING' AFTER TAKEOFF.THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING DOWN, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRPORT IS LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY, ANDPILOTS FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT DESCRIBED THE AREA ALONG THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RWY 21 AS 'A BLACK HOLE'. THE PILOTHAD LOGGED 4 HRS OF NIGHT TIME IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE LACK OF SURFACE REFERENCE WHILE TAKING OFF OVER A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA UNDER DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/14/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2330 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | WENDOVER |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84088 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WENDOVER |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ENV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 4240 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2328 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ENV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4240 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 2 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1396 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 15 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 15 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42705 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 4:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6401P |
| NTSB Number | DEN90FA092 |
| 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-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 241511 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 10 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 2657 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FRED SORENSEN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 814 OAKMONT AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | MURRAY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SORENSEN, FRED |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 814 OAKMONT |
| Operator City | MURRAY |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 84107 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ENV |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2330 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SLC |
| Destination City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 9100 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |