What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N243W collided with terrain in the dark canyon wilderness area near Blanding, UT. The purpose of the flight was a backcountry instructional flight. The instructor and two-pilot rated passengers, one being the owner departed from price, UT (kpuc) about 0700. They flew to various areas as noted by the spot GPS tracker. The last known departure was out of hidden splendor at about 1449 where the aircraft had a flat tire that was fixed by a mechanic that flew in to do the repair. N243W departed hidden splendor at about 1500 and continued on a southeast heading for the next 40 minutes. The last spot tracker was at the accident site at 1538 and continued for the next 12 hours. The wreckage was located about 30 miles northwest of Blanding, at an elevation of 6.900 feet mean sea level (MSL). The fuselage came ot rest on a heading of 040 degrees magnetic, facing uphill within a 20-degree sloping wash. The wash was comprised of flat sandstone, and the surrounding area consisted of brush and pine trees. The airplane remained upright, with the engine intact and impaled against a semicircular stratified abutment, which surrounded the airplane to the north. The fuselage sustained minimal longitudinal crush damage. The majority of the structure and cabin contents for of the tailcone, including a 30-foot-long swath of vegetation, was consumed by fire. The empennage section, aft of the fire line, sustained no discernable damage. All major section of the airplane were accounted for within the immediate vicinity of the accident site.
As the FAA filed it
N243W COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN IN THE DARK CANYON WILDERNESS AREA NEAR BLANDING, UT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS A BACKCOUNTRY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR AND TWO-PILOT RATED PASSENGERS, ONE BEING THE OWNER DEPARTED FROM PRICE, UT (KPUC) ABOUT 0700. THEY FLEW TO VARIOUS AREAS AS NOTED BY THE SPOT GPS TRACKER. THE LAST KNOWN DEPARTURE WAS OUT OF HIDDEN SPLENDOR AT ABOUT 1449 WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD A FLAT TIRE THAT WAS FIXED BY A MECHANIC THAT FLEW IN TO DO THE REPAIR. N243W DEPARTED HIDDEN SPLENDOR AT ABOUT 1500 AND CONTINUED ON A SOUTHEAST HEADING FOR THE NEXT 40 MINUTES. THE LAST SPOT TRACKER WAS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AT 1538 AND CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF BLANDING, AT AN ELEVATION OF 6.900 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE FUSELAGE CAME OT REST ON A HEADING OF 040 DEGREES MAGNETIC, FACING UPHILL WITHIN A 20-DEGREE SLOPING WASH. THE WASH WAS COMPRISED OF FLAT SANDSTONE, AND THE SURROUNDING AREA CONSISTED OF BRUSH AND PINE TREES. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED UPRIGHT, WITH THE ENGINE INTACT AND IMPALED AGAINST A SEMICIRCULAR STRATIFIED ABUTMENT, WHICH SURROUNDED THE AIRPLANE TO THE NORTH. THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED MINIMAL LONGITUDINAL CRUSH DAMAGE. THE MAJORITY OF THE STRUCTURE AND CABIN CONTENTS FOR OF THE TAILCONE, INCLUDING A 30-FOOT-LONG SWATH OF VEGETATION, WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE EMPENNAGE SECTION, AFT OF THE FIRE LINE, SUSTAINED NO DISCERNABLE DAMAGE. ALL MAJOR SECTION OF THE AIRPLANE WERE ACCOUNTED FOR WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N243W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.