History of Flight
On August 2, 2020, about 0841 mountain daylight time, a North American Navion airplane, registration N225HJ, was substantially damaged during an accident near Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC), Cedar City, Utah. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to a friend of the pilot, the airplane had been topped off with fuel at North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), Las Vegas, Nevada, on the day before the accident. The airplane’s main fuel tanks each held 20 gallons, with a total of 39.5 gallons of usable fuel. Publicly available radar information indicated that the airplane departed VGT that day and completed two flights with a total duration of about 1 hour 55 minutes.
Radar data showed that, on the day of the accident, the airplane departed Strawberry Valley Estates Airport (UT24), Alton, Utah, about 0815. UT24 was about 30 miles (approximately 20 minutes of flying time) from the last known point of contact from the previous day. After departure, the airplane flew southwest before turning north, continuing in that direction for the remainder of the flight captured by radar data. The airplane’s direction was consistent with a heading toward CDC.
As the airplane approached its destination, witnesses heard the pilot make a distress call. The pilot stated that the airplane was out of gas and that he was going to try to land in a field. Other witnesses observed the airplane descending and then impacting terrain. Shortly thereafter, a nearby communications tower collapsed.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site. Examination revealed that all major components of the airplane were located at the site. A support guy wire from the collapsed tower was observed wrapped around the front of the airplane. There was no post-impact fire.
The airplane came to rest inverted about 7 miles southwest of CDC and a few hundred feet from the collapsed tower. The wreckage site was on flat terrain at an elevation of about 5,475 ft. The outboard portion of the right wing separated and was found a few feet from the main wreckage. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached but sustained impact damage. The front of the fuselage was also damaged. The main landing gear was extended, and the nose wheel had separated.
The communications tower was about 400 ft in height and constructed of steel. It had five sets of guy wires connected at different elevations: 80 ft, 160 ft, 240 ft, 320 ft, and 380 ft. Each wire had a varying thickness between 5/16 and 9/16 of an inch, increasing with elevation. There were three guy wires at each elevation.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Medical Examiner, Utah Department of Health, Taylorville, Utah, conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was blunt trauma. Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory on the pilot’s liver specimen detected dextrorphan, a cough suppressant used in many cold medications and generally considered not impairing.