Piper Aircraft Inc PA-46-350P accident near St George, UT
On June 30, 2009, a Piper Aircraft Inc PA-46-350P (airplane) was involved in an accident near St George, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 30, 2009
- Place
- St George, UT
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft Inc PA-46-350P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.142°N, 113.933°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090701X00304
Official records · WPR09FA320
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Communications with Los Angeles Center: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 30, 2009, at 0708 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, N927GL, collided with mountainous terrain 16.3 miles west of St. George, Utah. The airplane was operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot was killed and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR (visual flight rules) flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at North Las Vegas Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, at 0651, and the intended destination was Cedar City, Utah. Radar data indicated that the airplane departed North Las Vegas and climbed to an altitude of 9,700 feet mean sea level (msl) on a northeasterly course of 050 degrees magnetic. At 0656, the pilot checked in with Los Angeles Center, stating he was at 9,200 feet VFR to Cedar City. At 0702, the data showed the target entering an approximately 1,000-foot-per-minute (fpm) rate of descent. The target continued to descend at this rate until radar contact was lost. The last radar return was at 0707, at an altitude of 5,400 feet msl, 5.5 miles southwest of the accident location. The course of the target was along a northeasterly line of 050 degrees, consistent with a direct course to Cedar City. There were no other radio communications with the pilot by Los Angeles Center other than the initial check in. The airplane wreckage was located by the Civil Air Patrol and Washington County Search and Rescue in the late afternoon of June 30. The initial impact point was just below the crest of a small hill at 4,734 feet
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance during descent for undetermined reasons.
More accidents in UT
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Browse: Utah · Piper 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.
