FTW98FA086

The noninstrument-rated private pilot, a foreign national, embarked on a solo cross-country flight to fulfill the experience requirements required for commercial pilot certification. FSS advised the pilot that VFR flight was not recommended. The pilot filed a VFR flight plan and departed Ogden, Utah. He arrived in Caldwell, Idaho, refueled, and obtained another FSS weather briefing. Again, he was advised that VFR flight was not recommended. He filed a VFR flight plan and departed Caldwell en route back to Ogden. Radar data indicated that the pilot did not track the airway to Malad City, Idaho, but instead followed a highway to the vicinity of Tremonton, Utah. There, it was seen to maneuver in a 'primary weather cell.' The wreckage was located 3 days later within 0.1 mile of the last radar contact.

History of flight

On January 3, 1998, at 1913 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N23371, operated by U.S. Aviation, Ogden, Utah, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering around weather 8.6 miles north of Tremonton, Utah. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the area. The pilot filed a VFR flight plan for the training flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91.

The following is based on the aircraft accident report submitted by U.S. Aviation, interviews conducted with company officials, and a written statement submitted by the pilot's flight instructor. The purpose of the flight was to fulfill part of the commercial pilot experience requirements for solo cross-country flight [14 CFR 61.129(a)(4)(i)]. A week before the accident, the pilot, a Japanese citizen, went to his instructor's apartment and together they planned the flight to Caldwell, Idaho, via Malad City, Idaho.

The pilot, Otake Katsuyoshi, arrived at the Ogden Municipal Airport (OGD) approximately 0830 on the morning of the accident. He telephoned his instructor, Lorenzo Bottegoni, and told him he was at the airport and ready to make the flight, but had failed to reserve an airplane. Mr. Bottegoni suggested that he check with the dispatcher to see if there had been any cancellations. Mr. Bottegoni then asked Mr. Katsuyoshi if he had checked the weather. He replied he would do so and call him back. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bottegoni received a telephone call from U.S. Aviation's dispatcher, advising that a message had appeared on the computer, stating that Mr. Katsuyoshi had not been released for solo flight. Mr. Bottegoni told her that Mr. Katsuyoshi was already a private pilot. Mr. Bottegoni said that Mr. Katsuyoshi never called him back, and he assumed that he did not make the flight.

Shortly after 0900, the dispatcher advised Mr. Katsuyoshi that there had been a cancellation and N23371 was available. Mr. Katsuyoshi computed the weight and balance, filled out a company flight plan, and submitted these documents to the dispatcher. A dispatch release was issued at 1057. Witnesses said they saw Mr. Katsuyoshi sitting in the cockpit sometime between 1000 and 1100. According to the Cedar City, Utah, Flight Service Station (FSS), a person who identified himself as the pilot of N23371 telephoned that facility at 1108 and requested a weather briefing to Caldwell via Boise, Idaho. He was furnished a full briefing and was advised that VFR flight was not recommended.

The airplane took off at 1202. The pilot contacted the Cedar City FSS at 1211 and requested that his VFR flight plan be activated. The pilot's flight planning documents submitted to U.S. Aviation's dispatcher showed the estimated time en route to Caldwell to be 3 hours. Approximately 1500, N23371 was vectored through Boise airspace and landed at Caldwell shortly thereafter.

U.S. Aviation officials said Mr. Katsuyoshi telephoned the dispatcher and told her there was no one at the airport and he was having difficulty purchasing fuel. He told her there was a self-service fuel pump that accepted credit cards only, but that he did not have a credit card. Shortly thereafter, he telephoned the dispatcher again and said he was able to purchase fuel using someone else's credit card, and that he reimbursed that person with cash. He also requested a time extension until 2000 for returning the airplane.

According to the Boise FSS, a person who identified himself as the pilot of N23371, telephoned at 1549 and obtained a full weather briefing. He was advised VFR flight was not recommended. Reportedly, he was also told to expect intermittent rain between 7,000 and 14,000 feet. The pilot then filed a VFR flight plan, to wit: direct Malad City, direct Ogden; true airspeed 100 knots; altitude 8,500 feet; estimated time en route, 3 hours; fuel on board, 5 hours.

FAA documents indicate N23371 departed Caldwell approximately 1635. The pilot contacted Boise approach control at 1645 and was identified on radar at 1652. Reportedly, he advised he was en route to the Malad City VORTAC at 8,500 feet. The pilot was issued a transponder code of 0342, and given VFR flight following services until the airplane was 5 miles southeast of Boise Airport. The controller advised the pilot there was a "language problem" and he was having problems receiving aircraft transmissions. The controller said the pilot sounded familiar "with the instrumentation in the aircraft." Radar services were terminated at 1707 when the airplane was 30 miles southeast of Burley, Idaho, at 7,800 feet. The pilot then contacted Boise FSS at 1719 and activated his VFR flight plan. The filed route of flight was from Caldwell direct to Malad City, Idaho, thence direct to Ogden, Utah. U.S. Aviation officials, however, said his alternate plan was to fly Interstate Highway (I-84) to I-15, then direct to Ogden.

When the airplane failed to arrive at Ogden, Cedar City FSS issued an INREQ (Information Request) at 2035, followed by an ALNOT (alert notice) at 2135. A search was conducted for three days. The wreckage of N23371 was located by a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter at 1030 on January 6, 1998, in Toponce Canyon, east of Howell Divide, near Tremonton, Utah. The accident had occurred during the hours of darkness at a GPS (Global Positioning System) location of 41 degrees, 48.60 minutes north latitude, and 112 degrees, 16.70 minutes west longitude, and at an elevation of approximately 5,300 feet.

Crew information

Otake Katsuyoshi, age 25, was born on December 8, 1972. He held Private Pilot Certificate No. 621822978, dated March 9, 1997, with an airplane single engine land rating. Although he had logged almost 60 hours of instrument time, he was not instrument rated. U.S. Aviation officials said they felt the pilot needed to improve his English language skills before they would recommend him taking the instrument rating practical flight test. He also held a Second Class Airman Medical Certificate, dated August 14, 1996, with no restrictions or limitations.

According to a logbook made available by U.S. Aviation, the first entry was dated September 18, 1996. He had carried forward a total of 123.1 hours of flight time. The logbook containing this flight time was never located. The last entry in the logbook was dated December 20, 1997. As of that date (and including the 5.9 hours recorded on the airplane's Hobbs meter on the day of the accident), the pilot had recorded the following flight times:

Total time 313.8 Airplane Single Engine Land 313.8 Pilot in Command 137.7 Solo 50.4 Instruction Received 211.6 Cross-Country 78.6 Night 13.7 Simulated Instruments 57.1 Actual Instruments 2.2 Day Landings 691 Night Landings 26 Instrument Approaches 57 Total time, PA-38-112 291.7

Aircraft information

N23371 (s/n 38-81A0090), a Piper PA-38-112, was issued a standard class, normal category airworthiness certificate on June 8, 1981. It was equipped with a Lycoming O-235-L2C engine (s/n L-15567-15) and a Sensenich 72CK-0-56 propeller (s/n K-733).

Examination of the aircraft maintenance records disclosed the last airframe annual and engine 100-hour inspections were performed on December 10, 1997, at a tachometer time of 3,591.3. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT), transponder, pitot-static system, and altimeter were functionally checked on April 15, 1997. The ELT battery expiration date was December 31, 1998.

Meteorological information

Shortly after N23371 departed Caldwell, Idaho, at 1635, the following weather observations were recorded at Caldwell (EUL) and Boise (BOI):

Eul (1656): wind 140 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 10 sm; sky clear; temperature 7 degrees c. (45 degrees f.); dew point 1 degree c. (34 degrees f.); altim