Swearingen SA-226TC N163SW
15 January 1987 · Kearns, Utah, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 15 January 1987 at about 19:52 local time, a Swearingen SA-226TC registered N163SW, operated by Sky West Airlines Inc., was involved in an accident near Kearns, Utah, United States. 10 people were on board and 10 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 19:52
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kearns, Utah, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.6501, -112.0096
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-226TC
- Registration
- N163SW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Sky West Airlines Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Pocatello → Salt Lake City
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DCA87MA018
People
10 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE TWO ACFT, A SWEARINGEN SA-226TC AND A MOONEY M-20, COLLIDED IN FLT AT APRX 7000 FT MSL IN THE SALT LAKE CITY ARPT (SLC) RADAR SERVICE AREA OVER KEARNS, UT. THE SA-226 WAS APPROACHING SLC FOR LNDG AND THE M-20 WAS CONDUCTING A LOCAL TRNG FLT WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE SA-226 INITIATED EVASIVE ACTION IN THE FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE THE COLLISION. THERE WAS ALSO AN EXCLAMATORY EXPLETIVE ON THE RADIO AT ABOUT THE TIME THE RADAR TARGETS OF THE TWO ACFT MERGED. THE FINAL CONTROLLER SAW A RADAR TARGET EARLIER THAT WAS POSSIBLY THE M-20 BUT DID NOT SEE IT AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. THE M-20 HAD NO MODE-C TRANSPONDER TO HELP IDENTIFY IT ON RADAR. THE M-20 SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WHERE IT WAS WITHOUT CLEARANCE. THE PLT OF THE SA-226 HAD BEEN ADVISED OF ANOTHER ACFT TO ITS LEFT AND ASKED TO REPORT SIGHTING IT. THE M-20 APPROACHED THE SA-226 FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. AFTER THE COLLISION BOTH OF THE ACFT DESCENDED TO AN UNCONTROLLED CRASH. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION WAS VMC WITH VISIBILITY OF 30 MILES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swearingen SA-226TC SA-226TC | N163SW | Sky West Airlines Inc. | Destroyed |
| Mooney M-20C M-20C | N6485U | Chester A. Baker | Destroyed |
Other Swearingen SA-226TC accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 1987 | Swearingen SA-226TC | Wilmington, North Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Jun 1987 | Swearingen SA-226TC | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 1987 | Swearingen SA-226TC | Florence, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 1985 | Swearingen SA 226TC | Los Angeles, California, United States | Sun Aire Lines | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1985 | Swearingen SA-226TC | Utica, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jan 1990 | Swearingen SA 226TC | Morrisville, North Carolina, United States | AMR Corporation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 1987 | Cessna 152 | Tremonton, Utah, United States | Professional Flight Services | No injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 1987 | Cessna 182P | Monument Valley, Utah, United States | Groomer, Ellis G. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1987 | Beechcraft C45G | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Feb 1987 | Cessna 185C | Cedar City, Utah, United States | Keith R. Hooker, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Park City, Utah, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 1987 | Cessna 152 | Milford, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |