Accident
A commuter air carrier operating a flight from Moab, Utah, to Grand Junction, Colorado, departed and flew via RNAV direct to Macks Intersection. After crossing Macks Intersection, the airplane turned right but failed to intercept the localizer course. Instead, it continued on a slightly divergent track east of the localizer. During the approach, the pilot contacted control tower personnel and stated, "I'm showing twelve miles out on the ILS...getting real...erroneous signal, here. Any complaints?" The tower responded that no difficulty reports had been received. One minute after that communication, the airplane impacted a mesa located approximately five miles to the left of the localizer course. All three occupants were killed. Although visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the airport, the accident site was above the reported ceiling height.
Investigation
The collision destroyed the cockpit, and no meaningful information could be obtained from the navigational radios. Subsequently, all of the airport's navigational aids were flight checked, and no discrepancies were found.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was identified as improper IFR procedure and resultant disorientation, which resulted in a collision with terrain.