# Accident 20030123000989A: Piper PA28R200, Lasal, UT, January 23, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 23, 2003, 20:37 local time
- Place: Lasal, UT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.2889° N, 109.2069° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2889&lon=-109.2069&mi=10
- Aircraft: N106AW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N106AW-2004-08-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-200 (registry code 7102811, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R200
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03FA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03FA038) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030123000989A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) WHILE ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT FROM LONGMONT, CO. TO NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV. THE ENGINE FAILED OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE BEFORE CRASHING INTO TERRAIN AT 6830 FEET MSL. DUE TO THE EXTEND OF DESTRUCTION BY FIRE OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE CRASH IT IS BELIEVED THAT SOME FUEL WAS STILL AVAILABLE IN ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN OBSERVED ON RADAR AS BEING ABOVE 14,000 FEET MSL FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS DURING THE FLIGHT AND AS HIGH AS 16,000 FEET MSL. NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN WAS TAKEN ON THE FLIGHT BY THE PILOT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT DUE TO THE HYPOXIC CONDITION OF THE PILOT SHE DID NOT SWITCH FUEL TANKS BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. ACTUAL ALTITUDE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE IS NOT KNOWN. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE FAILURE, HER HYPOXIC CONDITION AND LIMITED EXPERIENCE RENDERED HER UNABLE TO CORRECTLY RESPOND TO EMERGENCY BY SWITCHING TO A TANK WITH FUEL IN IT. THE FACT THAT IT WAS AT NIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT.                                                                                                    (.19) ON JANUARY 23, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 2040 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PA-28R-200, N106AW, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN SUBSEQUENT TO A NIGHT FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT FROM CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR LA SAL, UTAH. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HER THREE PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. AIR WEST FLIGHT CENTER INC. OF LONGMONT, COLORADO, WAS OPERATING THE FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM LONGMONT, COLORADO, AT APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS 55 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN ACTIVATED WITH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AS ITS DESTINATION. DENVER AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) RECEIVED AN EMERGENCY "MAY-DAY" TRANSMISSION FROM THE PILOT AT APPROXIMATELY 2035. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED. SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS LOCATED THE AIRPLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 0900, ON JANUARY 25, 2003. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONSUMED BY POSTIMPACT FIRE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN03FA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03FA038), Jan 24, 2003: Piper PA-28R-200 (N106AW), La Sal, UT, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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