- Date
- February 15, 1983, 22:00 local (Feb 16, 1983, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Moab, UT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N63808Piper PA-23F-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830215004109A
- Case key
- 15972
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft crashed into the top of a mesa at the 5500 ft level (MSL). The acft then cartwheeled about 300 ft on a heading of 360 degrees. Sheriffs deputies discovered at the accident site that the acft was loaded with marijuana weighing ABOUT798 lbs. An additional amount of marijuana estimated at 200 lbs was scattered along the wreckage path. Two bodies were recovered at the scene. Neither was the plt who had rented the acft. Three days after the accident the plt who had originally rented the acft reported the acft stolen. It was not determined if there was a connection between the renter and the decreased acft occupants. The pilots body tested positive for alcohol & drugs, with an alcohol level of 0.066%. Percent. The acft was headed directly toward the rotating beacon at canyonlands arpt, elevation 4574 ft MSL. The densityalt was computed to be 5359 ft at the crash site at the time of the accident. The departure point and the destination ofthe acft was not determined. The acft was scheduled to be returned the day after the accident by the original renter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63808
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23F-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-7754132
- Airframe hours
- 670
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-C1A, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Piper Aircraft
- Registered owner
- Fogel & Associates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 1982
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GJC, 82 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.