Cessna 172 accident near Birdseye, UT

On June 27, 2013, a Cessna 172 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Birdseye, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

June 27, 2013

Place

Birdseye, UT

Aircraft

Cessna 172 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

39.907°N, 111.550°W

NTSB ID

20130627X54046

Official records · WPR13FA294

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Radio Communications Audio File: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 27, 2013, about 1020 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N4459R, was substantially damaged when it struck powerlines and terrain during an attempted emergency landing on a road near Birdseye, Utah. The airplane was owned and operated by IMSAR Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of IMSAR, of Springville, Utah. The commercial pilot was seriously injured, and the required crewmember received fatal injuries. The radar equipment test flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. According to representatives of IMSAR, the airplane was one of two Cessna 172 airplanes used as platforms for the development and testing of airborne radar systems. The airplanes were based at Spanish Fork-Springville airport (U77), Springville, Utah. IMSAR employed one full time pilot, and occasionally utilized the services of contract pilots. On the morning of the accident, the IMSAR pilot was operating the other company airplane, and a contract pilot was operating the accident airplane. The mission plan was to fly predetermined tracks and/or orbits at a location about 16 miles south of U77, at an altitude of about 8,000 feet, for several hours. The engine start, taxi, run-up, and takeoff were uneventful. The pilot flew toward the assigned test location of Birdseye via the Spanish Fork Canyon. The IMSAR-required test altitude for this particular flight was 2,500 feet above ground level. The airplane arrived on station over Birdseye and co

Probable cause

***This report was modified on August 18, 2015. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The operator's improper installation of a supplemental electrical power supply, which caused a short circuit due to inadequate vibration and abrasion protection, which resulted in chafing of the wires, which contacted one another, short-circuited, and caused an onboard fire. Cont

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.