Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Salina, Utah 84654
Saturday, July 14, 2012 11:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The noninstrument-rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-county flight. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane was in level flight at 13,300 feet mean sea level (msl) during about the last 30 minutes of the flight. The last 2 minutes of the radar data showed the airplane making a slow climbing turn to an altitude of 14,200 feet msl. The last radar returns showed the airplane making a sharper left turn at 13,500 feet msl before radar contact was lost. The accident site was located 1.5 nautical miles southeast of the last radar return at an elevation of 7,928 feet msl. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane collided with trees and mountainous terrain in a steep nose-down attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained a weather briefing for the flight. The most recent pilot report before the accident indicated cloud bases at 9,000 feet in the accident area. Weather returns depicted light-intensity echoes over the route of flight consistent with reduced visibility in light rain and extensive vertically developed clouds. Therefore, although weather conditions at the departure and destination airports were VFR, available weather information indicates that the accident airplane likely encountered instrument meteorological and mountain obscuration conditions en route. Given the weather conditions in the area and the altitude and course changes made in the few minutes before the accident, it is likely that the pilot became spatially disorientated and subsequently lost airplane control.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of airplane control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/14/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Salina |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84654 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384911N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1112556W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 553 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PUC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 7590 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 56 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KPUC 150553Z AUTO 03006KT 10SM FEW039 BKN075 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 33307 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AMN Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2014 6:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | jonp |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N86AA |
| NTSB Number | WPR12FA305 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CIRRUS DESIGN CORP |
| Aircraft Model | SR22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1131 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Oct 27 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 589 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SPRINGHILL AVIATION LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | DANVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94526-3824 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Peter W. Branagh |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Danville |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 94526 |
| 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 | CCR |
| Departure City | Concord |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ASE |
| Destination City | Aspen |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2014 5:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | jonp |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |