History of Flight
On May 7, 2014, at approximately 0855 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150F airplane, registration N8236F, was substantially damaged after impacting remote mountainous terrain about 2 nautical miles west of Santa Clara, Utah. The airplane was owned and operated by Above View Aviation of Saint George, Utah. A certified flight instructor occupied the right cockpit seat, and a pilot receiving instruction occupied the left seat; both were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was filed. The flight departed Saint George Municipal Airport (SGU) around 0800.
The operator stated this was the second or third orientation flight for the left-seat student, who had recently taken an interest in flying. The operator believed the flight departed between 0815 and 0830 and noted a radio call from the pilot indicating a departure to the north. No further radio calls were received, although a local pilot reported seeing the accident airplane flying low about 2 to 3 miles northwest of the airport around 0915.
A witness reported being on a bicycle ride near the Rim Runner bike trail from about 0800. At exactly 0848, he observed an airplane overhead flying east to west at an estimated altitude of 800 to 1,000 feet above ground level. Shortly thereafter, when the airplane was about 2 miles from his location, he heard the engine sputter and then saw the airplane in a vertical nose-down attitude for 3 to 4 seconds. He recalled seeing the wings wobbling at 0853 before it disappeared behind a hill. He made a 911 call at 0856 and later contacted the FAA. At 1055, after riding down the Barrel Roll trail, he spotted the wreckage.
The airplane came to rest in rugged, remote mountainous terrain at coordinates 37°07'10"N, 113°41'59"W, elevation about 3,540 feet. It impacted rock-covered terrain on a 27-degree downslope in an upright orientation, with a measured magnetic heading of about 350 degrees at rest. All necessary components were accounted for at the site.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor (CFI), age 75, held an airline transport pilot certificate with single-engine, multiengine, and instrument ratings, along with a flight instructor rating. His most recent biennial flight review was on October 9, 2013, and his most recent first-class medical was issued June 11, 2013, with no limitations. According to his logbooks and operator data, he had accumulated 14,756 total hours, including 10,862 hours in multiengine airplanes, 3,894 hours in single-engine airplanes, and about 11 hours in the accident airplane make and model. He had 9,657 hours as pilot-in-command and about 3,350 hours as a flight instructor. In the previous 90, 60, 30, and 24 hours, he had flown 77, 55, 22, and 1 hour, respectively. He held type ratings in CE-500, CE-525S, EA-500S, EMB-120, and SA-227. His experience included USAF pilot (1965-1985), Part 121 regional airline pilot (1989-1999), contract flying and instructing (1999-2000), scenic flying in Nepal (2000-2001), and general Part 91 activities including charters and instruction from 2001 onward.
The pilot receiving instruction had neither a student pilot certificate nor a valid FAA medical certificate. The operator reported that at the time of the accident, the student had accumulated 4 total flight hours, with 2 hours in the accident make and model, all within the preceding 90 days, and 1 hour within the last 24 hours.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a Cessna 150F (serial number 15064336), a two-place, high-wing, fixed tricycle landing gear aircraft. It was issued a utility category standard airworthiness certificate in June 1966 and maintained under the Manufacturer's Inspection Program. Its most recent continuous airworthiness inspection was on March 10, 2014, at a total time of 8,993 hours. The engine was a Lycoming O-320-E2D (serial number L44995-27A) with a McCauley fixed-pitch, two-bladed propeller. At the time of the accident, the engine had 5,389 total hours, 2,703 hours since overhaul, and 49 hours since its last inspection.
Meteorological Information
At 0835, the SGU Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), located 10 nm southeast of the accident site, reported wind from 130 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast clouds at 7,000 feet, temperature 12°C, dew point -1°C, and altimeter 29.75 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An examination conducted on May 8, 2014, revealed the airplane at rest on a mountain slope, upright and facing downslope at about 27 degrees. The at-rest magnetic heading was 350 degrees; a relative impact heading could not be determined. All major structural components were present, control surfaces attached, and control cable continuity established. The elevator trim tab was faired, flaps were retracted, throttle was closed, mixture full rich, carburetor heat off, and magneto switch set to BOTH. The fuel selector position was undetermined; both fuel tanks were breached but contained fuel. Cockpit instrument readings included: directional gyro 060°, airspeed 0, vertical speed 0, transponder squawk 1200, fuel indicators empty, fuel pressure 0, altimeter 2,630 feet set at 29.78 inHg, OBS 260°, tachometer 629.6 hours, and Hobbs meter 2,415.0 hours. No catastrophic airframe failure was found.
Engine examination revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunction or fire. The crankshaft rotated freely, thumb compression was normal, spark plugs showed normal wear, and valve train operated properly. Both magnetos produced spark. The carburetor bowl was displaced due to impact; no fuel or contaminants were observed. The propeller remained attached with minor blade tip damage. Post-recovery examination of the fuel system found no abnormalities.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies performed on May 8, 2014, at the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner determined that both the right-seat and left-seat occupants died from total body blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing on the flight instructor detected no carbon monoxide or ethanol, and sildenafil (Viagra) and desmethylsildenafil were present in blood and urine. Testing on the student pilot found no carbon monoxide, no ethanol, and no drugs.