Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wendover, Utah 84083
Sunday, February 18, 2001 20:18 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A witness, who watched the non-instrument rated private pilot make the night takeoff, said there was a light rain falling and the skies were overcast. Radar data disclosed a primary target just east of Wendover on a southwesterly track. It made a turn and flew north, passing Wendover. It flew towards the northeast, then turned northwest and held this course, then made a 270 degree turn to the left, followed by another left turn of at least 270 degrees. It then continued on an easterly course until radar contact was lost. No mode C (altitude reporting) returns were recorded. The accident site was in mountainous terrain at the 6,944-foot level near the point where radar contact was lost. Examination of the wreckage indicated the airplane impacted terrain in a steep nose down attitude.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot flying at an altitude insufficient to clear surrounding terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot becoming lost/disoriented, his subsequent spatial disorientation, and dark night conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/18/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2018 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Wendover |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84083 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 410847N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1140153W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2015 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 166 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ENV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4235 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 42 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3895 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10222 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NW OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 19 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 30 2001 11:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, Utah |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5757K |
| NTSB Number | DEN01FA064 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | V35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-8090 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Russell R. Lewis |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | Star Route, Box 170 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Durant |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 74701 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Leland C.Lewis |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. Box 550 |
| Operator City | Wendover |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80483 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | USA |
| Departure Time | 1853 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 05U |
| Destination City | Eureka |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 1 2001 12:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |