History of Flight
On December 12, 2016, about 0537 mountain standard time, a Quest Kodiak, registration N772RT, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY), Moab, Utah. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Lease Air LLC and operated by Aerowest Aviation, doing business as Redtail Air, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules company flight plan was filed for the positioning flight to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Security camera footage showed the pilot boarded at 0526, started the engine at 0529, taxied to runway 21, activated the runway lights at 0534, and took off at 0536. The takeoff appeared normal, and the airplane initiated a right turn after becoming airborne. Shortly thereafter, the airplane entered an increasingly rapid descent that continued to ground contact.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, along with a flight instructor certificate with single-engine and instrument ratings. He held a second-class FAA medical certificate issued February 1, 2016, requiring corrective lenses for near and distant vision. The operator reported 4,635 total flight hours, including 243 hours in the accident make and model, 170 night hours, and 291 hours in actual instrument conditions.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane (serial number 100-0140) was manufactured in 2015 and configured for cargo. It was powered by a Pratt and Whitney PT6A-34 750-horsepower turbine engine with a Hartzell HC-E4N-3P four-blade controllable-pitch propeller. The most recent 200-hour inspection was on November 10, 2016, at 473.5 airframe hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had 504.2 total airframe hours.
Meteorological Information
The 0553 weather observation at CNY reported wind from 330° at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies below 12,000 ft, temperature 1°C, dewpoint -2°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.94 inches of mercury. Satellite imagery indicated a broken layer of high cirriform clouds with tops near 21,000 ft. The moon was a waxing gibbous with 97% illumination; moonset occurred at 0536, and at 0540 the moon was 1.5° below the horizon at azimuth 290°.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane descended through two 30-40 ft tall powerlines about 1 mile southwest of the airport before impacting terrain. The debris field was about 323 ft long on a magnetic heading of 359°. The first debris was the right wheel flange, followed by outboard right wing components. A large impact crater contained two propeller blades, instruments, and right wing aileron and flap components. The main wreckage, including the engine, cabin, fuselage, and empennage, was consumed by postimpact fire. Two propeller blades exhibited powerline impact damage. Flight control continuity was established. Engine examination revealed bending and twisting, with fractured power turbine blades and compressor blade damage. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy listed the cause of death as total body blunt force injuries. Toxicology tests detected no ethanol or tested-for drugs.