Piper PA-31B-310 N7497L

Summary

On 21 August 1985 at about 12:51 local time, a Piper PA-31B-310 registered N7497L was involved in an accident near Vernal, Utah, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

21 August 1985 at 12:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Vernal, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Vernal (VEL)

Coordinates

40.5504, -109.5696

Aircraft

Piper PA-31B-310

Registration

N7497L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salt Lake City → Vernal

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN85FA227

1 person was seriously injured.

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 PLT CANCELLED HIS IFR PLAN AND BEGAN DESCENT FROM 13000 FT IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING AT VERNAL, UT. THE ACFT IMPACTED GROUND IN WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE UNDER POWER. PLT WAS SERIOUSLY BURNED BY POST-CRASH GROUND FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FLIGHT CONTROL FAILURE PRIOR TO IMPACT. IT WAS LEARNED PLT HAD FLOWN SMALL ACFT FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO PRICE, UT, AND TO PIERRE, SD, THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. PLT RETURNED TO SALT LAKE CITY AT 0200 ON DAY OF ACCIDENT. ACCIDENT FLT DEPARTED SALT LAKE CITY AT 0600. FAA PHYSICIAN OPINED THAT PLT WAS ASLEEP AT IMPACT. ACFT WAS FLYING INTO RISING SUN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.