Flight History
On January 4, 2023, at approximately 1456 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registration N814WT, was destroyed in an accident near New Harmony, Utah. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal trip.
The pilot had flown earlier that morning from Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) to check on a residence in the St. George area. The accident flight was intended as the return leg. After the pilot was reported overdue by a concerned family member, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notice. The wreckage was found the following day in mountainous terrain about 3 miles north of New Harmony.
According to ADS-B data provided by the FAA, the aircraft departed from runway 19 at St. George Regional Airport (SGU) at about 1439. It flew northeast for six minutes, reaching a GPS altitude of about 10,000 ft. The airplane then descended; after reaching 9,000 ft one minute later, it made a 90° left turn and continued descending to 8,625 ft. Over the next four minutes, it tracked north toward rising terrain, crossing west of Interstate 15. After descending to 7,375 ft, it turned 90° left toward an 8,300-ft-tall mountain peak. The airplane then began a climbing left turn, reaching 8,425 ft one minute later. The next ADS-B target, 14 seconds later, showed it had descended to 6,900 ft on a southerly heading. In the last 15 seconds, the airplane continued in a left turn, climbing to 7,525 ft about 2,000 ft west of the accident site.
Multiple witnesses reported that the mountain range at the accident site was obscured by clouds. One witness, a pilot, stated she heard a low-flying airplane and checked a flight tracking website, which showed the aircraft overhead at 7,300 ft mean sea level, an altitude she considered unusually low. She reported cloud bases between 200 and 300 ft above ground level, with surrounding mountainous terrain completely obscured. She observed on the website as the airplane made a 180° turn and listened as the engine sounds faded.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land and instrument airplane. According to his most recent FAA medical exam on February 24, 2022, he reported 2,625 total flight hours, with 50 in the last six months. His logbooks were not recovered. Data from the aircraft’s integrated flight deck (IFD) showed most flights in the preceding year were direct between SLC and SGU, with some short local flights. Family members reported the pilot routinely flew this route and was based in Salt Lake City but had a house in St. George. His daughter, also a pilot, stated he was meticulous with flight preparation and routinely used the autopilot. She noted the aircraft had a well-equipped avionics suite, including terrain awareness and weather. She was unaware of any issues with the airplane or autopilot.
The aircraft was manufactured in 2014 and purchased new by the pilot. It was equipped with a Garmin G1000 IFD, including a primary and multi-function display and a GFC 700 Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) autopilot, as well as an Aspen Avionics EFD1000 backup display. The Garmin IFD included synthetic vision and terrain alerts; the G1000 Cockpit Reference Guide stated the terrain avoidance feature was not to be used as the sole means of navigation. The AFCS featured return-to-level (LVL) and Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP). The aircraft also had an ice protection system approved for known icing conditions, consisting of pneumatic wing and empennage boots, electrothermal propeller deice pads, and other components.
The airplane was serviced with 79.4 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline at SGU earlier that day. Fuel testing from SGU supply tanks showed no contaminants.
Weather Conditions
There was no record of the pilot filing an instrument flight rules flight plan or requesting flight following. A pilot planning a VFR flight from SGU to SLC around 1400 reported that pre-flight weather checks indicated VMC along the route, but he observed clouds obscuring mountains north of the airport. He canceled his flight and drove; upon reaching New Harmony, the area was enveloped in low clouds.
Surface observations near the accident time: At SGU (31 miles south-southwest, elevation 2,885 ft), at 1456, winds calm, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 4,100 ft agl, broken at 6,500 ft, light rain. At Cedar City Regional Airport (14 miles north-northeast, elevation 5,620 ft), at 1453, wind 220° at 11 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 12,000 ft agl. At SLC, during the hour before and after, winds southerly, few clouds between 6,000 and 18,000 ft agl, 10 miles visibility.
A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model sounding along the inbound flight path earlier in the day indicated potential for few to broken clouds between about 6,300 and 8,500 ft. By 1500, conditions deteriorated: at the accident site, clouds from about 6,500 ft through 9,300 ft with potential freezing fog below. The freezing level was about 6,300 ft. Potential for light rime icing below 8,800 ft, moderate clear icing in the lowest 100 ft, and light low-level wind shear in the lowest 100 ft. Surface wind from the south at 10 knots, increasing to westerly 30 knots near 15,000 ft.
There was no contact with the accident aircraft via Leidos Flight Services. The pilot used ForeFlight for flight planning; 20 minutes before takeoff, he viewed weather imagery including turbulence, lowest freezing levels, and aviation surface forecasts.
Data from previous flights (four between SGU and SLC from July to the accident) showed similar routes and VMC conditions with 10 miles visibility and clear to few/broken clouds.
Wreckage Examination
Shortly after the accident, the wreckage became buried by snow. An onsite examination on January 8 revealed the airplane collided with terrain in a ravine at 6,600 ft msl, about 200 ft below the surrounding ridgeline, in an area with brush, juniper, and pine trees. The first identified point of impact was a 15-ft-long, 60° swath cut through a tree. From there, a debris field of fiberglass and metal shards from a wing continued on a heading of 095°. A propeller hub and three detached blades were 20 ft from initial impact, and the main wreckage came to rest inverted on a heading of 170° about 55 ft farther. The left wing remained partially attached with leading edge crush damage; the right wing inboard section partially attached, outboard sections comingled with the fuselage.
The fuselage sustained extensive crush damage from nose to vertical stabilizer. The vertical stabilizer remained attached and was crushed under the stabilator. Fractured seats, flight instruments, and cabin contents were identified inside. All primary flight control surfaces were located; examination revealed no anomalies precluding normal operation, with bending and overload damage consistent with impact. The avionics suite and autopilot were extensively fragmented, so operational status at impact could not be determined.
Both engines showed no evidence of catastrophic internal failure. All six propeller blades had significant leading-edge damage, tip curl, serration, chordwise striations, and S-bending. Turbocharger compressor wheels for both engines had severe rotational damage, tearing and bending opposite rotation. Both engine-driven vacuum pumps were intact with no pre-impact failure.
The IFD data logging SD card survived and was extracted. Data showed both engines mirrored each other and were producing power at impact. Autopilot parameters including commanded heading were recorded, but selected heading and altitude were not. There was no evidence of bird strike or fire.
An autopsy determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing detected Amlodipine (a blood pressure medication not considered impairing) in liver and lung tissues.