- Date
- March 21, 1983, 07:38 local (14:38 UTC)
- Place
- Heber City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4520VAmerican AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830321008629A
- Case key
- 16055
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
After taking off at Heber City, UT, the plt turned to a 090 deg heading & began a climb with full throttle, mixture full rich, 80 to 90 KIAS & aprx 500 fpm rate of climb. At aprx 6500 ft MSL, he altered the course to 110 to 115 deg to provide better terrain clearance, over a slight valley formed by creek drainage. At that point, the clearance was reportedly about 1000 ft. as the climb continued, the plt noticed that the terrain was gradually getting closer. As he neared the top, he suddenly realized that the acft might not be able to make it over. A 180 deg turn was started. However, as a left bank was established for the turn, the acft felt mushy & started to lose alt rapidly. The plt rolled the wings level & pulled back on the yoke when ground contact was possible. However, the descent continued & the acft crashed on a treeless, snow cvrd slope at 9300 ft. the plt suggested carbon monoxide might explain his indecisiveness, but an exam of the eng & exhaust sys revealed no preimpact malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4520V
- Reported as
- American AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B1066
- Airframe hours
- 1,525
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Mercury Aircourier Service
- Registered owner
- Lake Aero, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 7, 1982 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- 36U · Heber City, UT
- Destination
- U69 · Duschesne, UT
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,469 total · 153 in this make and model · 5,435 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 16 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.