- Date
- June 13, 1997, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Monument Valley, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6290KRepublic RC-3-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970613014169A
- Case key
- 42631
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 pilot's inadequate preflight planing/preparation, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from the terrain. Factors relating to the accident included: high, gusty, variable winds, and terrain induced downdrafts.
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 pilot attempted a takeoff with the wind blowing at 30 knots and gusting to 45 knots. Reportedly, the wind was blowing through large rock formations near the airport, the wind direction was constantly varying, and strong downdrafts were being created. The pilot reported that when the aircraft was about 300 feet above the ground, it felt like it had flown into a strong downdraft, and he was unable to keep it from descending into the terrain.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 1997, approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, an amphibious Republic RC-3-1, N6290K, impacted the terrain shortly after takeoff from Gouldings Monument Valley Airport, Monument Valley, Utah. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, received minor injuries, and the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight was departing for Page, Arizona in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to a witness at the airport, at the time the pilot attempted his departure, the wind was blowing at 30 knots, gusting to 45 knots. Because the wind was blowing through the large rock formations near the airport, the wind direction was constantly changing and strong terrain-induced downdrafts were being created. The pilot said that during the initial climb, when the aircraft was about 300 feet above the ground, it felt like he had flown into a severe downdraft, and he could not keep the aircraft from being pushed into the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6290K
- Reported as
- Republic RC-3-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 503
- Airframe hours
- 634
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lafont, Rowland G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 1996 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- 71V
- Destination
- PGA · Page, AZ
- Airport
- 71V · Gouldings Monument Valley
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,396 total · 103 in this make and model · 115 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 30 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.