# NTSB SEA07LA177: Mooney M20C, N6713N, Price, UT, June 23, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 22, 2007, 23:15 local (Jun 23, 2007, 05:15 UTC) - Place: Price, UT - Coordinates: 39.633056, -110.743614 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6331&lon=-110.7436&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report February 28, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Salt Lake City FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 66046 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA07LA177 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66046/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA07LA177 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power transmission lines while on a night straight-in visual flight rules approach. Factors include a power transmission line about one and three-tenths mile off the approach end of the runway, and the pilot's decision to operate in the night environment. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - object - wire,transmission (contributing factor) - light condition - night (contributing factor) ## Analysis While en route to his final destination, the pilot landed at an intermediate stop in order to take a break and refuel his airplane. He was on the ground for about two hours, and then he decided to continue on to his final destination, which was about 60 miles away, without refueling. Prior to his departure, he mentioned to another pilot that he did not want to wait for the fuel attendant to come out to the airport, and that he had more than enough fuel to make the flight. The pilot departed for his final destination after dark, but about one hour later, he returned to the airport where he had made the intermediate stop. While he was on an extended final, about 1.3 miles from the uncontrolled airport, the aircraft hit some unmarked electrical wires, which are strung between unlighted poles. The investigation determined that there was no requirement for the electrical wires to be marked, nor was there a requirement for the power poles to be lighted. The runway he was aligned to land on did not have a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI), whereas the opposite runway did have such a device. It was also determined that the pilot-activated runway lights at the uncontrolled final destination airport were not functioning at the time that the accident aircraft would have arrived there. ## Factual narrative On June 22, 2007, approximately 2315 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N6713N, impacted high tension electrical power lines about 7,000 feet (1.3 miles) north of Carbon County Regional Airport, Price, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were killed, and the airplane, which was owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged by the impact and the post-crash fire. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal cross-country flight, which departed the same airport about one hour earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to witnesses, the pilot landed at the Carbon County Airport about three hours prior to the accident. After landing, he talked to some other pilots, and mentioned that he had landed to take a break, use the restroom, and to refuel the aircraft before heading to his final destination of Green River, Utah. He was on the ground for about two hours, and reportedly he ultimately decided to continue on to Green River, which was about 60 miles southeast, without refueling. Prior to his departure, he mentioned to another pilot that he did not want to wait for the fuel attendant to come out to the airport, and that he had more than enough fuel to make it to Green River. The witnesses said that the pilot departed for Green river after dark (about 2215). About one hour later, the pilot returned to Carbon County Regional Airport, and while on an extended final to runway 18, the airplane hit the unmarked electrical wires, which are strung between unlighted poles. The investigation determined that there was no requirement for the electrical wires to be marked, nor was there a requirement for the power poles to be lighted. It was also noted that although runway 36 at Price had a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI), runway 18 did not have such a device. It was also determined that the pilot-activated runway lights at Green River Municipal Airport were not functioning at the time the accident aircraft would have arrived there. According to the Green River airport manager, the lights had not been functioning for about two days, but he had not been made aware of it. After a pilot advised him of the problem, the airport manger reset a tripped circuit breaker, and the system returned to normal operation. A post-accident inspection of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies in its airframe, engine, or flight control system. An autopsy performed by the office of the Utah State Medical Examiner determined that the manner of death was accidental, and the cause of death was due to conflagration injuries. The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed a forensic toxicology examination of specimens taken from the pilot, and the examination was negative for all tested substances. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6713N](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6713N-2009-01-13), registration cancelled 2009-01-13, S/N 680046, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mooney M20C - Registry model: [Mooney M20C](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (registry code 5870208) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 680046 - Airframe hours: 4764 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Richard M. Hall - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 1, 2007, 5 hours before - Departed: KPUC, Price, UT - Destination: KU34, Green River, UT - Airport: KPUC, Carbon County Regional, runway 18, 8,313 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 100 total, 3 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: KPUC, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070622011679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070622011679A), Jun 22, 2007: Mooney M20C, Price, UT, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) Aircraft impacted high tension power lines one mile north of Price, UT. During the night approach to runway 18. Aircraft was destroyed with two fatals. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.