Beechcraft 35-33 N316Z

Summary

On 9 December 2009 at about 21:00 local time, a Beechcraft 35-33 registered N316Z, operated by Mark Dwayne Thorn, was involved in an accident near Lehi, Utah, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 December 2009 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lehi, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.4317, -111.8919

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35-33

Registration

N316Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mark Dwayne Thorn

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. George → Provo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA076

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses monitoring the common traffic advisory frequency for the pilot's intended destination reported that they overheard a radio transmission “mayday mayday, I am at the point of the mountain, 5,100 feet, my engine just quit.” Witnesses located adjacent to the accident site reported observing the airplane on a westerly heading near a major interstate when it suddenly banked to the right to a northerly heading before it descended into terrain. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest upright in a grassy, snow-covered area. The fuel selector valve was observed in the “right main” fuel tank position. The wreckage recovery company reported the airplane contained sufficient quantities of aviation fuel in the left and right main fuel tanks, and a minimal amount of fuel was found in the left and right auxiliary tanks. Examination of the recovered airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The recovered engine was removed from the airframe and subsequently installed on an engine test stand. The engine was successfully run at various power settings with no anomalies noted. Due to the pilot's injuries, he reported no memory of the accident sequence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.