- Date
- December 9, 1992, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Riverton, UT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N755AABeech 35-33
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921209049529A
- Case key
- 42930
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Terrain clearance was not maintained. Factors to the accident were: snow and flight into known adverse weather.
Analysis
It was reported by the pilot's son that prior to departing for the flight, the pilot was aware of the poor weather conditions along the route of flight. The son and another pilot were flying in a twin engine airplane, and the father was in the single engine airplane. The son stated that his father took off about eight minutes before their flight and turned toward the northwest, while the son took off and turned to the northeast to follow the valley south. The son reported that the weather front was running across the valley and that light snow was falling and visibility was poor at the time. The wreckage was found along the west side of the valley near rolling hills approximately seven miles south of the airport. A witness reported that he heard the crash but could not see it due to the falling snow. Post crash investigation did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N755AA
- Reported as
- Beech 35-33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-100
- Airframe hours
- 6,472
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-J, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Porter, Howard K.
- Registered owner
- Porter, Howard K.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1992 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- U42 · 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 990 total · 263 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 350° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC, 17 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.