Piper PA-24-180 N7835P

Summary

On 7 September 1989 at about 00:15 local time, a Piper PA-24-180 registered N7835P, operated by Calvin, JOE B., was involved in an accident near Grantsville, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 September 1989 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Grantsville, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.6708, -112.7590

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-180

Registration

N7835P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Calvin, JOE B.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tooele → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

DEN89FA208

2 people died.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, BY ENTERING A BOX CANYON WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO ASSURE A SAFE EXIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: BOX CANYON, RISING TERRAIN, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & PASSENGER TOOK OFF ON A LOCAL FLT AT 1801 MDT. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT RETURN, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE ACFT WAS FOUND THE NEXT MORNING WHERE IT HAD CRASHED & BURNED ON THE SIDE OF A BOX CANYON. ENTRANCE TO THE CANYON WAS FROM THE SOUTHEAST. THE ACFT CRASHED ON STEEP TERRAIN ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CANYON. IMPACT WAS ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. IMPACT MARKS (FRAGMENTED & GOUGED ROCKS) WERE FOUND ABOUT 50 FT UPSLOPE FROM WHERE THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST. MUCH OF THE WRECKAGE WAS DEMOLISHED BY FIRE. AN EXAM OF THE RGT WING REVEALED CHORDWISE CRUSHING OF ITS LOWER SKIN. BOTH PROP BLADES WERE BENT & TWISTED; THE TIPS OF BOTH PROPS WERE TORN OFF. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE CRASH SITE WAS APRX 7000 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.