Beechcraft A36 N324AT

Summary

On 14 August 2011 at about 15:00 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N324AT, operated by Robert Dawson, was involved in an accident near Lander, Wyoming, 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

14 August 2011 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lander, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

42.7536, -109.1542

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N324AT

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Robert Dawson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Driggs → Denver

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11FA381

2 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying under visual flight rules flight following. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane maintained a relatively straight track to the southeast at an altitude of between 15,100 feet and 15,500 feet before descending near the area of the accident site. About 1 minute before the last recorded radar target, the pilot checked in with the controller; the airplane's altitude was 13,200 feet. The last two radar targets indicated a descending right turn. The airplane lost 700 feet in 21 seconds, and the last radar contact was at 12,100 feet. The controller noticed a loss of radar contact and attempted to contact the pilot on the radio but was unable to. The accident site was located at an elevation of 11,400 feet in mountainous terrain about 1 mile west of the last radar contact. The debris field was on a westerly heading at the bottom of a slope and extended for about 580 feet indicating controlled flight into the terrain. It could not be determined why the pilot descended or why he did not maintain sufficient clearance from mountainous terrain. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.