20200802013329A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · North American NAVION · Cedar City, UT · August 2, 2020

Date: August 2, 2020 · 08:43 local
Place: Cedar City, UT
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N225HJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA249
Reported as: North American Navion
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 133 total45 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N225HJRegistered now · North American NAVIONS/N NAV-4-188 Airframe modelNorth American NAVION

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.

On August 1, 2020, N225HJ took off from North las vegas, Nevada airport (kvgt) with the pilot and two passengers onboard. One of passengers confirmed they fueled the aircraft prior to take-off at the self-service fuel pump and stated she knew the aircraft was full of fuel because the fuel overflowed onto the ground. They took-off enroute to Cedar City, Utah airport (kcdc) and dropped off one of the passengers. The pilot and remaining passenger took-off without refueling and headed to strawberry valley estates, Utah airport (UT24) where they remained for the night. The next morning, August 2, 2020, they departed and were enroute to Cedar City, Utah airport. Just prior to reaching Cedar City airport, 3 witnesses heard the pilot say on the radio, ?mayday, mayday, mayday? We have zero fuel and are going to land in a field?. The aircraft hit a the guy wires holding up a 414 foot lighted cell phone tower 6 miles south of Cedar City airport killing both people on board.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 1, 2020, N225HJ TOOK OFF FROM NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA AIRPORT (KVGT) WITH THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. ONE OF PASSENGERS CONFIRMED THEY FUELED THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF AT THE SELF-SERVICE FUEL PUMP AND STATED SHE KNEW THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FUEL BECAUSE THE FUEL OVERFLOWED ONTO THE GROUND. THEY TOOK-OFF ENROUTE TO CEDAR CITY, UTAH AIRPORT (KCDC) AND DROPPED OFF ONE OF THE PASSENGERS. THE PILOT AND REMAINING PASSENGER TOOK-OFF WITHOUT REFUELING AND HEADED TO STRAWBERRY VALLEY ESTATES, UTAH AIRPORT (UT24) WHERE THEY REMAINED FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING, AUGUST 2, 2020, THEY DEPARTED AND WERE ENROUTE TO CEDAR CITY, UTAH AIRPORT. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING CEDAR CITY AIRPORT, 3 WITNESSES HEARD THE PILOT SAY ON THE RADIO, ?MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY? WE HAVE ZERO FUEL AND ARE GOING TO LAND IN A FIELD?. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A THE GUY WIRES HOLDING UP A 414 FOOT LIGHTED CELL PHONE TOWER 6 MILES SOUTH OF CEDAR CITY AIRPORT KILLING BOTH PEOPLE ON BOARD.

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 WPR20LA249Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportCedar City, UTA total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper fuel planning and failure to see and avoid the communications tower support guy wire.Aug 2, 2020 · Substantial damage