On June 17, 1995, a Cessna 175A (registration N6970E) operated by Hoffman, Paul was involved in an aviation accident near Moab, UT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE IN THE VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) TRAFFIC PATTERN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW DISPATCH PROCEDURES, THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE UNAVAILABILITY OF THE AIRPORT'S… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot flying a night VFR approach into an uncontrolled airport impacted terrain one and a half miles from the runway during a descent behind a ridgeline.
What happened
The pilot was conducting a night Visual Flight Rules (VFR) approach into an uncontrolled airport when the aircraft struck the terrain approximately one and a half miles from the runway.
A witness observed the aircraft operating within the traffic pattern, noting that the ground track resembled the pattern for Runway 21, though the aircraft appeared lower than normal. The witness further reported seeing the airplane execute a left turn, similar to a base turn, before it descended behind a ridgeline and disappeared from view.
Prior to the flight, Flight Service had briefed the pilot that the runway lights at the destination airport were out of service. Additionally, the accident occurred approximately 16 hours after the start of the pilot's duty day, which exceeded the 14-hour limit specified in the company operations manual.