What happened
On February 10, 2025, at approximately 14:55 MST, a Beech B24R, registration N9324S, was involved in an accident near Skull Valley, Utah. The aircraft was being operated as a Part 91 instructional flight by a flight instructor and a student pilot.
The flight departed Spanish Fork Municipal Airport/Woodhouse Field (SPK) at approximately 13:10. Both the instructor and student pilot were performing their first flight in this specific aircraft. The flight began using the right-wing fuel tank. During the flight, the instructor demonstrated the procedure for switching fuel tanks, moving from the right tank to the left tank, and later switching back to the right tank.
Approximately ten minutes after the switch back to the right tank, the instructor reported hearing a strange noise and feeling a jolt, followed by a total loss of engine power. The instructor took control of the aircraft and initiated a forced landing into an open area near Interstate 80. During the landing roll on soft, lightly vegetated terrain, the left main landing gear separated and the left wing struck the ground, causing substantial damage to the aircraft and the aft fuselage.
There were no injuries to the flight instructor or the student pilot.