What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The morning of January 4th, 2023, the pilot took-off from salt lake city international (slc) and landed in st. george regional airport (sgu) at approximately 1200 for a personal/business trip.
The pilot received 79.4 gallons of fuel from privacy data omitted, at 1230 upon landing at sgu.
The pilot took off from st. george regional airport (sgu) at 1441 on January 4th, 2023, en-route to salt lake city international (slc) returning home. Witnesses reported that the left engine on the aircraft did not start right away.
At approximately 1454 the pilot passed over New Harmony and started a left turn toward the mountain range. At approximately 1455 the aircraft had made a complete left revolution turn and hit the mountain with a north east heading at a 60 degree left bank descending at a 45 degree angle, 2000 feet per minute. The left wing hit first and the aircraft slid about 50 feet to the bottom of a ravine. Upon investigating the crash site the damage to the left propeller indicated that the left engine was turning at full power upon impact.
The pilot’s privacy data omitted became concerned and called Washington county pd at 2035 on the day of the accident. Department of public services (dps) was dispatched and unable to locate the aircraft the night of the accident. Weather was reported as “socked in”. The aircraft was located the morning of January 5th, and was considered destroyed with no burning. The aircraft was in a very remote area and dps was unable to land near the wreckage. First responders repelled down to the site from the helicopter and determined the pilot was the only one on-board and deceased.
As the FAA filed it
THE MORNING OF JANUARY 4TH, 2023, THE PILOT TOOK-OFF FROM SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL (SLC) AND LANDED IN ST. GEORGE REGIONAL AIRPORT (SGU) AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 FOR A PERSONAL/BUSINESS TRIP.
THE PILOT RECEIVED 79.4 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AT 1230 UPON LANDING AT SGU.
THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM ST. GEORGE REGIONAL AIRPORT (SGU) AT 1441 ON JANUARY 4TH, 2023, EN-ROUTE TO SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL (SLC) RETURNING HOME. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE ON THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT START RIGHT AWAY.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1454 THE PILOT PASSED OVER NEW HARMONY AND STARTED A LEFT TURN TOWARD THE MOUNTAIN RANGE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1455 THE AIRCRAFT HAD MADE A COMPLETE LEFT REVOLUTION TURN AND HIT THE MOUNTAIN WITH A NORTH EAST HEADING AT A 60 DEGREE LEFT BANK DESCENDING AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, 2000 FEET PER MINUTE. THE LEFT WING HIT FIRST AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID ABOUT 50 FEET TO THE BOTTOM OF A RAVINE. UPON INVESTIGATING THE CRASH SITE THE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT PROPELLER INDICATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS TURNING AT FULL POWER UPON IMPACT.
THE PILOT’S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BECAME CONCERNED AND CALLED WASHINGTON COUNTY PD AT 2035 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICES (DPS) WAS DISPATCHED AND UNABLE TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT. WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS “SOCKED IN”. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED THE MORNING OF JANUARY 5TH, AND WAS CONSIDERED DESTROYED WITH NO BURNING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A VERY REMOTE AREA AND DPS WAS UNABLE TO LAND NEAR THE WRECKAGE. FIRST RESPONDERS REPELLED DOWN TO THE SITE FROM THE HELICOPTER AND DETERMINED THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY ONE ON-BOARD AND DECEASED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.