History of Flight
On February 25, 2017, at approximately 2040 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172H, registration N3712F, was substantially damaged when it impacted mountainous terrain about 11 nautical miles north-northwest of Panguitch, Utah. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the visual flight rules flight. The flight departed Page Municipal Airport (PGA), Page, Arizona, around 1930, with a destination of South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Salt Lake City, Utah.
According to a pilot-rated friend of the family, the pilot had initially departed Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA), Phoenix, Arizona, in the late afternoon. At 1849, the friend texted the pilot, who replied at 1852 that he had just landed at PGA and was getting fuel. The friend asked about weather; the pilot responded at 1854 that it was "ok, cloudy" and asked about conditions at the destination. The friend replied, "Cloudy. You good in the dark with the clouds?" No immediate response followed. At 1903, the friend suggested a route via Kanab and Beaver, then along Interstate 15. At 1911, the pilot responded, "I'm thinking of Bryce Canyon, then Richfield, then I-15 on up. How low are the clouds?" The friend replied about 2 minutes later that clouds were low east of his house but higher to the west. At 1921, the friend asked about an AWC weather briefing; the pilot did not respond. At 1923, the friend noted light weather over Tropic and Beaver. At 1924, the pilot replied, "That's what I'm seeing too. I'm just going to stay over the highways." This was the last communication from the pilot. At 1932, the friend commented, "Follow the light[s]. Keep me posted." No response. At 1940, the friend asked how it was going; again no response.
A fixed-based operator line foreman at PGA reported that, at 1850, the pilot called for after-hours fuel. The foreman arrived at 1900 and topped off both tanks with 18.3 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. After fueling, the foreman noticed the pilot looked very tired and asked the two passengers if they wanted to lie down; they declined, wanting to get home. The foreman offered a place to rest, but the pilot declined. The pilot loaded the airplane and left the FBO at 1918.
Radar data showed the airplane at 1939:30 about 2.3 nm northwest of PGA at 5,400 ft msl, heading northwest. It climbed to an en route cruise altitude between 9,100 and 9,900 ft msl. The last radar return was at 2038:38, about 80 nm northwest of PGA and 2.85 nm southeast of the accident site, at 9,600 ft msl. The airplane subsequently impacted mountainous terrain in dark night conditions.
When the pilot failed to arrive at U42 that evening, a family member contacted local authorities. The FAA issued an alert notification at 0509 on February 26. Search and rescue operations began but were suspended later that day with no sightings. On February 27 at about 1100, the wreckage was located.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land airplane rating. He did not hold an instrument rating. He was issued a third-class FAA medical certificate on September 18, 2015, with no limitations. A review of his logbook showed 176.9 total flight hours as of December 29, 2016, including 113 hours as pilot-in-command, 65.3 hours of cross-country time, 10.5 hours of night time, and 120 hours in the same make and model. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown about 6 hours, with none in the last 30 days.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1966 Cessna 172H, serial number 17255207, powered by a 145-horsepower Continental O-300-D engine and equipped with a two-bladed McCauley constant-speed propeller. Maintenance records indicated an annual inspection on April 14, 2016, at a tachometer time of 7,239.75 hours and engine total time of 6,678.87 hours, with 1,577.14 hours since major overhaul. The last maintenance entry was on October 8, 2016, at a tachometer time of 7,334.27 hours, noting replacement of an oil sump gasket. Tachometer time at the accident was 7,372.64 hours.
Meteorological Information
The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart for 2000 on February 25 depicted a stationary front across central Arizona with a high-pressure system over northern Utah. The accident site was north of the front in a weak pressure gradient. Station models over Utah indicated light north and west winds with variable cloud conditions, and one station northwest of the site reported light continuous snow. Weather surveillance radar showed an area of snow showers over the accident site, and infrared satellite imagery indicated a band of low stratiform clouds with tops near 14,000 ft msl and bases estimated at 8,700 ft msl.
A composite radar image for 2040 showed very light intensity echoes over southern Utah, consistent with snow showers, located east of the accident site and north of the departure airport. The echoes were consistent with clouds, restricted visibility, and potential mountain obscuration.
The Center Weather Service Unit at the Salt Lake City air traffic control center issued a meteorological impact statement at 1136, valid until 2100, indicating widespread marginal VFR/IFR conditions in snow with low ceilings and visibility, and gusty surface winds in the northern area, forecast to spread south and east.
Panguitch Municipal Airport (U55), about 12 nm south-southeast of the accident site (elevation 6,763 ft), reported at 2059: wind 040° at 3 kts, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 3,900 ft agl, overcast at 4,800 ft agl, temperature -3°C, dew point -6°C, altimeter 29.99 inHg. Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE), about 28 nm southeast (elevation 7,590 ft), reported at 2053: wind 250° at 5 kts, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature -7°C, dew point -6°C, altimeter 29.87 inHg. Milford Municipal Airport (MLF), about 40 nm north-northwest (elevation 5,042 ft), reported at 2040: wind 350° at 10 kts, visibility 9 miles, light snow showers, few clouds at 2,200 ft agl, overcast at 4,000 ft agl, temperature -2°C, dew point -4°C, altimeter 29.95 inHg.
Astronomical data for Panguitch on February 25: sunset at 1821, end of civil twilight at 1847, moonrise at 0711, moonset at 1842. At the accident time (2049), both sun and moon were more than 15° below the horizon, providing no illumination. The investigation found no evidence the pilot received a weather briefing before departing PGA.
Wreckage and Impact Information
On February 28, 2017, investigators from the NTSB and FAA, assisted by the Iron County Sheriff's Department, surveyed the accident site. The airplane initially impacted snow-covered mountainous terrain in a nose-low attitude on a southwest heading at about 7,358 ft msl, then came to rest in a ravine about 206 ft from the initial impact at about 7,237 ft msl. The airplane was severely fragmented and deformed. Onsite documentation was hampered by snow-covered terrain and active snow showers. All necessary flight components were accounted for.
The fuselage was in many sections, with both wings separated. The empennage had all flight controls attached, and all flight control cables were accounted for. There was no postcrash fire. Debris included the engine's carburetor, left door post, right wingtip, nose landing gear strut, and intake air box in the initial path; farther along, the nose gear wheel/tire, engine cowling part, magneto assembly, and aileron part; and in the last third, the left cabin door, main landing gear wheel/tire, emergency locator transmitter, a fuel tank, and the engine. The propeller was about 135 ft west of the main wreckage. The left fuel gauge read off-scale high, and the right gauge read just above one-half tank full.
At the salvage facility, examination revealed the cabin and cockpit were destroyed by impact. The left wing had impact damage throughout, with the outboard 4 ft separated. The left flap was bent and twisted in the up/retracted position. The left aileron was bent and twisted but attached. The left fuel tank was destroyed; the fuel cap was missing. The left elevator was attached with minor bending and wrinkling. The right wing remained attached by a small amount of metal skin; the top half of the wing strut remained attached, the bottom half separated. The right flap was attached but inboard section bent down 90°. The right aileron was separated, bent, twisted, and mangled. The right fuel cap was intact and tight; the tank was breached with leading edge impact damage. The right elevator was attached with minor damage; the trim tab was in neutral position. The vertical stabilizer separated upward; the lower 18 inches were impact damaged. The rudder was attached with minor damage. Both main landing gear were attached but impact damaged.
Aileron cables were attached to bellcranks; chains were off sprockets. Elevator cables were attached; the push-pull rod was separated at both ends with hardware in place. Rudder cables were attached; torque tubes separated from floorboard. All flight control cables had tension overload separations. The flap actuator extended about 1 inch, placing flaps about 4° down.
The fuel selector valve, in the "BOTH" position, functioned properly when tested. The handle was trapped in the "BOTH" position. The engine separated; components were missing. The magnetos and vacuum pump were not recovered. The carburetor bowl showed hydraulic damage consistent with fuel at impact. One propeller blade ("A") had extreme leading edge damage and twisting; the other ("B") had leading and trailing edge damage. Small drill holes of undetermined depth were noted in the propeller hub; none exhibited cracking. The holes may have been from stop-drilling cracks in the spinner bulkhead plate. Examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Medical Examiner, Utah Department of Health, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for all substances tested.