- Date
- November 9, 1989, 13:47 local (20:47 UTC)
- Place
- Provo, UT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N145YCessna 310I
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891109044909A
- Case key
- 17808
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The Cessna pilot misjudge his altitude above the water. Contributing factors were: the pilot allowing his attention to be diverted and his lack of visual/depth perception over the calm (glassy) water.
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 plts of Cessna 310, N145Y, and Beech J35 (bonanza), N4258B, preplanned a flt for the purpose of making a video while flying as a flt of 2 acft. Drg flt, the bonanza plt assumed a lead position with the Cessna in a loose echelon formation. They proceeded over Utah lake at low alt. The wind was light & the water in the lake was calm. Subsequently, while flying at low alt over the lake, the Cessna hit the water. The video film showed that just prior to water impact, the bonanza was to the right side of the Cessna & slightly higher. After the acdnt, the Cessna sank in 12 ft of water. Both occupants of the Cessna suffered blunt force trauma associated with impact; however, the med examiner rprtd their deaths were due to drowning.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N145Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 310I
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310I0026
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-U, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Trojan, Robert W.
- Registered owner
- Trojan, Robert W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 1989
- Departed
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- PVU · Provo, UT
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,267 total · 700 in this make and model · 1,137 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PVU, 5 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.