Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
La Sal, Utah 84530
Thursday, January 23, 2003 20:37 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated private pilot (approximately 140 hours of flight experience) filed a night VFR flight plan [in a complex airplane] for 15,500 feet, a cruising airspeed of 140 knots, a time en route of 4 hours, and 8 hours of fuel onboard. The pilot did not have a complex airplane endorsement. The airplane was non pressurized, and no supplemental oxygen was onboard. The airplane manufacturer’s representative calculated the flight to require 5 hour, 25 minutes (with no wind), which was 25 minutes longer than the maximum estimated capability of the airplane. Radar data indicates that the pilot flew above 12,500 feet for 2 hours, 17 minutes, above 14,000 feet for 1 hours, 49 minutes, and at approximately 16,000 feet for an estimated 45 minutes. At approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes (352 nm) into the flight, the pilot declared a "Mayday." Radar data indicates that the airplane departed 14,800 feet, and descended through 9,800 feet at approximately 1,077 feet per minute. The radar data showed the airplane in a straight flight track until it descended below radar coverage; the airplane's impact ground scar of approximately 280 degrees was aligned with this flight track. The engine fuel burn calculations suggest that 10 to 15 gallons of fuel were in the airplane at the time of the accident. An examination of the wreckage showed the left wing attached to the fuselage and resting up hill. The cockpit area, forward fuselage, and right wing were broken, charred, and consumed by fire. The extent of thermal damage to the fuselage suggested that fuel assisted in the conflagration. An examination of the engine and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the loss of engine power (total) due to fuel starvation, the pilot not following procedures/directives (fuel management procedures), and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation for the flight. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequately equipping the airplane (lack of supplemental oxygen), the pilot's hypoxic physical impairment, and the pilot's total lack of experience in type of operation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/23/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2037 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | La Sal |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84530 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 381720N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1091225W |
| 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 | 2053 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CNY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4553 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 36 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3823 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15094 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 23 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2004 8:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, UT |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N106AW |
| NTSB Number | DEN03FA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7535202 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | Jan 20 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 6544.2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Air West Flight Center Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10383 N. 85th St. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Longmont |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80503 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| 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 | 2V2 |
| Departure City | Longmont |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1650 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VGT |
| Destination City | Las Vegas |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 19 2004 11:26AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |