19960921029079A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna T207A · Saint George, UT · September 21, 1996

Date: September 21, 1996 · 19:39 local
Place: Saint George, UT
Airport: Saint George Municipal
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: SCIA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N6468H
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX96FA339
Reported as: Cessna T207A
Reported engine: Continental TSIO520M
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 23,000 total7 in this make and model66 in the last 90 days

N6468HRegistration cancelled Mar 24, 1997 · Cessna T207AS/N 20700532 Airframe modelCessna T207A

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft struck a mountain in flight. (.4)the airplane was being positioned to another airport at night and was not refueled before the flight. The flight was over mountainous terrain. The pilot's attention was diverted to low fuel status. About 13 gallons of fuel was found in the airplane after the accident, of which only 1/2 gallon was found in the selected fuel tank. During the cruise descent the airplane collided with the top of a 4,300-foot bluff located to his front and right and partially obstructed from view by the engine cowling. The accident site was 13 nautical miles from the airport. The elevation of the airport was 2,938 feet MSL. The 23,000 hour pilot had logged a total of 7 hours of flight experience in the airplane make and model, of which only 2.6 hours were in the past 90 days.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT STRUCK A MOUNTAIN IN FLIGHT. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING POSITIONED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT AT NIGHT AND WAS NOT REFUELED BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED TO LOW FUEL STATUS. ABOUT 13 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, OF WHICH ONLY 1/2 GALLON WAS FOUND IN THE SELECTED FUEL TANK. DURING THE CRUISE DESCENT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A 4,300-FOOT BLUFF LOCATED TO HIS FRONT AND RIGHT AND PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW BY THE ENGINE COWLING. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 13 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE ELEVATION OF THE AIRPORT WAS 2,938 FEET MSL. THE 23,000 HOUR PILOT HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 7 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL, OF WHICH ONLY 2.6 HOURS WERE IN THE PAST 90 DAYS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX96FA339Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportLittlefield, AZThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain during descent for undetermined reasons. Contributing factors were the dark night and mountainous terrain.Sep 21, 1996 · Destroyed