- Date
- August 21, 1985, 06:51 local (12:51 UTC)
- Place
- Vernal, UT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7497LPiper PA-31B-310
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850821039829A
- Case key
- 16554
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 plt cancelled his IFR plan and began descent from 13000 ft in preparation for landing at Vernal, UT. The acft impacted ground in wings level attitude under power. Plt was seriously burned by post-crash ground fire. Investigation revealed no evidence of flight control failure prior to impact. It was learned plt had flown small acft from salt lake city to price, UT, and to pierre, SD, the day before the accident. Plt returned to salt lake city at 0200 on day of accident. Accident flt departed salt lake city at 0600. FAA physician opined that plt was asleep at impact. Acft was flying into rising sun.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7497L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31B-310
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 317300928
- Airframe hours
- 7,946
- Engine
- Lycoming TI0-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- California Air Charter, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 14, 1985 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- VEL · Vernal, UT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- VEL · Vernal, runway 34, 6,605 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,556 total · 207 in this make and model · 835 as pilot in command · 350 in the last 90 days · 153 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VEL, 8 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.