History of Flight
On August 9, 2008, at 0907 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180K, N63217, impacted a beach in Garden City, Utah. The pilot, who was also the registered owner, was operating the airplane under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Yellowstone Airport (WYS), West Yellowstone, Montana, and was destined for Bear Lake County Airport (1U7), Paris, Idaho.
At the time of the accident, Garden City was hosting Raspberry Days, an annual town festival. According to a witness who was also a friend of the pilot, the pilot and passenger had recently attended a family reunion in South Carolina and were going to spend a night in Garden City before returning home. The pilot was eventually planning on returning to his home airport of Crest Airpark (S36), Kent, Washington.
The witness reported that the pilot flew near the witness's cabin to signal that he was in the area. The witness indicated that the pilot flew over the beach at 500 feet above ground level, made a pass from east to west with approximately 15 degrees of flaps extended, then circled back and came over west to east. He then turned slightly south, circled to the north, and started toward Paris. The airplane began to climb and then stalled, with the left wing dropping. The airplane continued to descend until it became inverted and impacted the beach vertically in a nose-down attitude.
Another witness, an airline first officer, reported watching the airplane circle over the beach. The airplane appeared to be doing turns and banks in excess of 45 degrees, performing several turns over the beach for about 2 to 3 minutes at altitudes less than 500 feet. Then, the airplane started flying north over the water along the beach, the nose suddenly pitched up, the left wing dipped, and the nose swung around like a "hammerhead." The airplane then went into a nose-dive straight into the ground.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 45, held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and a second-class medical certificate issued June 30, 2008, with the limitation "Must have available glasses for near vision." His logbook showed about 616 hours total flight time, with 438 hours in make and model. He had flown 81 hours over the last 90 days, 54 hours over the last 30 days, and 1 hour during the past 24 hours.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed gear airplane, serial number 18052837, was manufactured in 1977. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors O-470-U 13 series 230 horsepower engine, equipped with a McCauley C2A34C204 constant-speed propeller. An annual inspection was completed on July 1, 2008, at a recorded tachometer time of 3,177.2 hours, airframe total time of 3,177.2 hours, and engine time since major overhaul of 1,925.7 hours. At the accident site, the tachometer read 3,219.8 hours.
Fueling records from West Yellowstone airport showed that the pilot purchased 12 gallons of fuel, with 6 gallons added to each tank. At the time of the accident, the airplane's estimated weight with 40 gallons of fuel was approximately 2,544 pounds and the center of gravity moment 109 pound-inches (range 94-119 pound-inches). The pilot operating handbook lists max gross weight as 2,800 pounds with total usable fuel of 84 gallons.
Meteorological Information
The closest official weather report was at Logan-Cache Airport, Logan, Utah, about 22 nautical miles from the accident site. At 0851 MDT, skies were clear, visibility was 10 miles, winds were 320 degrees at 3 knots, temperature 20°C, dew point 12°C, and altimeter 30.06 inches of mercury. Local emergency response personnel indicated calm winds at the accident time. Using the Logan conditions, density altitude at the accident site was calculated to be 7,901 feet mean sea level. One area resident reported occasional unusual breezes from surrounding mountains, but no observations of such breezes were reported by witnesses or first responders.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest on a sandy beach about 50 feet from the shoreline of Bear Lake, on a south-southeast heading, at an elevation of 5,934 feet msl. The wreckage was mainly confined to the impact area, except for the left main landing gear tire located 304 feet north. The engine was partially buried in sand and a portion of one propeller blade was visible. The cabin area sustained extensive impact damage.
All flight control surfaces remained attached. The left and right wings were partially connected to the fuselage at the wing roots. Both occupants were wearing restraint systems with shoulder harnesses. The ELT activated on impact and was turned off by emergency personnel.
Flight control cables were traced and were continuous but crushed in the deformed cockpit. The flap control lever was at approximately 10 degrees flap extension. The horizontal stabilizer trim actuator measured 7.7 inches, equating to 5-6 degrees nose down trim. The stall warning horn sounded when air was blown into it. Seat tracks showed no evidence of slippage.
A cursory engine examination was conducted on scene, followed by disassembly. The engine would not rotate due to impact damage. Magnetos produced spark. Spark plugs showed normal wear. Cylinder bores were free of scoring; cylinder skirts, rocker boxes, pistons, rings, and pin/plug assemblies were undamaged. All cylinders and piston heads showed normal combustion deposits. Complete disassembly revealed a separated portion of the crankshaft flange with the propeller assembly. Main bearing journals, connecting rods, camshaft, and main bearings were undamaged. Residual oil was found throughout. Airframe and engine examinations revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner completed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was reported from injuries sustained due to an airplane crash. Forensic toxicology was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and tested drugs.
Additional Information
The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25A) notes that as air density decreases (higher density altitude), airplane performance decreases. Density altitude affects power, thrust, and lift.