Beechcraft V35B N1176T

Summary

On 28 January 2002 at about 15:47 local time, a Beechcraft V35B registered N1176T was involved in an accident near American Fork, Utah, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 January 2002 at 15:47

Classification

Accident

Location

American Fork, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.4661, -111.7203

Aircraft

Beechcraft V35B

Registration

N1176T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Jordan → Delta

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA023

1 person died.

The pilot's poor judgment in that he intentionally initiated VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were low ceiling and obscuration, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument time.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot told the lineman he was preparing to depart since he had to get back to work. The lineman thought "nobody in their right mind would try flying at that time [since] there was a winter storm moving through the area." It was as though they were '"in the eye of a hurricane,'" and be couldn't believe the pilot would try taking off in the storm. The pilot said he was going to "scud run" to his intended destination, about 103 miles to the south, but would turn around if he couldn't make it. The lineman said, "I couldn't believe what he was telling me. I told him that every year, we get two or three airplanes trying to scud run, and they run into the mountains." The pilot told him that he was instrument rated, but was not current. The lineman showed the pilot computer radar images depicting large buildups throughout the area. As the pilot prepared to depart, another lineman brushed frost off the wings. The pilot took off before all the frost could be removed and disappeared into clouds a mile south of the airport. The wreckage was located the following day in a canyon. Radar data showed the airplane tracking along an interstate highway before turning left and entering the canyon. As it went further east into the canyon, it made four consecutive climbing left turns before radar contact was lost.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.