Cessna 172M accident near Monticello, UT
On December 24, 1997, a Cessna 172M (airplane) was involved in an accident near Monticello, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 24, 1997
- Place
- Monticello, UT
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.981°N, 109.290°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X09310
NTSB summary
On December 23, 1997, at 1916 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N1596V, operated by Vista Air, Whiteman Airport, Van Nuys, California, collided with power lines while maneuvering near Monticello, Utah. The private pilot received fatal injuries and his passenger minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. No flight plan was filed for this cross-country flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and the last known departure point was Cortez, Colorado. The originating airport was Whiteman Airport, California, and the reported destination was Grand Junction, Colorado. After departure from a fuel stop at Cortez, where 13.8 gallons of fuel was purchased, the pilot contacted Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) when approximately 20 miles north of Cortez, and requested assistance due to his being disoriented. The Center could not acquire the aircraft on radar and requested the pilot climb the aircraft until radar coverage could be achieved. (The floor of radar coverage in that area was approximately 2,000 feet above ground level). The pilot failed to climb the aircraft to a sufficient altitude to gain radar assistance, thus communications with the aircraft was lost. At 1840, a San Juan County, Utah, Deputy Sheriff noticed an aircraft circling the city of Monticello. At 1916 the aircraft struck two sets of power lines 1/2 mile east of the city. The first power line carried 345,000 volts and the aircraft struck this line 63 feet above ground level. The second line carried 138,000 volts and the aircraft struck this line 55 feet above the ground. The po
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude and clearance from obstacles. Also causal was the pilot becoming lost and disoriented. Contributing factors were his lack of familiarity with the geographical area, lack of experience, night conditions, and power lines
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Browse: Utah · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
