Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Lycoming Engines; Dallas, Texas
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Registered Owner: Tumbleweed Leasing Inc
Operator: Upper Limit Aviation
NTSB Identification: WPR16FA002
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 05, 2015 in Cedar City, UT
Aircraft: CESSNA 152, registration: N6449M
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On October 5, 2015, at 1300 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6449M, impacted a dry lake bed about 6 nautical miles southwest of Cedar City Municipal Airport (KCDC), Cedar City, Utah. The two flight instructors were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Upper Limit Aviation was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The local company check flight departed KCDC about 1215. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The operator reported that the purpose of the flight was for the chief pilot of the flight school to demonstrate the airplane to a newly hired flight instructor. Witnesses saw the airplane performing various maneuvers over the dry lake bed, which was used as a training area. One witness reported that, just before the accident, the airplane was descending in a near vertical fashion in a slight nose-low attitude and looked "like a fluttering leaf."
The airplane was equipped with an on-board flight tracking system that uploaded recorded data points via satellite to the operator every 2 minutes. The unit retained the recorded data in non-volatile memory at 5 second intervals. The unit was downloaded, and a review of the last 14 minute segment of flight data showed the airplane departing from KCDC at 1246 using runway 26. The data showed the airplane making a right turn to the north at 1248:04. The airplane continued the right turn and made a touch-and-go landing on runway 20.
At 1251:04, the airplane was climbing away from the runway. The flight track continued southwest toward the accident location. At 1256:04, the flight track passed over the accident site elevation (5,457 ft) at an altitude of 7,656 ft mean sea level (msl) and continued southwest in a gradual climb. The flight track showed a gradual left turn followed by a widening right climbing turn back toward the north. At 1259:49, the airplane's altitude was 8,661 ft msl, and the data then showed a descent to 8,179 ft msl during a 15 second period. By 1300:04, the airplane had climbed to an altitude of 8,353 ft msl. At 1300:19, the airplane was at an altitude of 8,559 ft msl (about 3,100 ft above ground level), and the remaining 35 seconds of data showed a near vertical descent toward the accident location. The last recorded data point at 1300:54 showed that the airplane was over the accident site, had a ground speed of 40 knots, and was at 5,580 ft msl.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 15284733, was manufactured in 1980. It was powered by a 125-horsepower Lycoming O-235-L2C engine and equipped with a Sensenich 70CKS6-0-52 fixed-pitch propeller. Review of copies of maintenance logbook records showed that an annual inspection was completed on July 17, 2015, at an hour meter reading of 99.4 hours, airframe total time of 9,678.2 hours, and engine time since major overhaul of 99.4 hours. Examination of the maintenance and flight department records revealed no unresolved maintenance discrepancies against the airplane before departure.
Fueling records at KCDC established that the airplane was last fueled on October 5, 2015, with 14 gallons of 100-octane aviation fuel. The operator calculated, based on previous flight records, that the airplane departed with a total of 23 gallons of fuel on board.
The current weight and balance documentation for the airplane was found in the airplane flight manual. The maximum gross weight for the airplane was 1,670 pounds. The gross weight at departure was estimated at 1,709 pounds. Based on estimated fuel burn and flight time, at the time of the accident, the airplane had a gross weight of 1,681 pounds.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
Investigators examined the wreckage at the accident scene. The damage to the airplane was consistent with impact in a right-wing-low, nose-down attitude. There were no ground impact marks around the airplane to indicate any forward momentum. Both fuel tanks exhibited hydraulic deformation in a downward direction and were breached.
The outboard right wing leading edge exhibited tapering compression damage. The left wing was canted forward, and the right wing was canted aft. All primary flight control surfaces and major system components were identified and located at the wreckage site before the wreckage was recovered. The aileron and flap cables were cut by recovery personnel at the wing roots.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The Utah Department of Health, Office of the Medical Examiner, conducted postmortem examinations of both pilots. The cause of death for both pilots was reported as blunt force injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing of specimens of both pilots, which were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and tested drugs.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
After the wreckage was recovered, the engine was separated from the main wreckage and placed on a table to facilitate examination and disassembly. The propeller hub remained attached to the engine. Both propeller blades remained straight and exhibited no damage indicative of rotation at the time of impact.
Engine compression and valve train continuity were established. The magnetos produced spark at all leads. The top spark plugs appeared new. The fuel strainer bowl was full of fuel, which tested negative for water, and the strainer screen was clean.
The carburetor was impact displaced and was embedded in the left lower firewall. It was fractured radially at the throttle plate. The float bowl was removed and about 10 drops of fuel were observed and tested using Kolor Kut water disclosing paste with negative results. Hydraulic deformation was observed on one of the floats. All fuel lines were empty of any liquid.
The fuel selector was removed, examined, and determined to be in the "ON" position.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 05, 2015 in Cedar City, UT
Aircraft: CESSNA 152, registration: N6449M
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On October 5, 2015, at 1303 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 152, N6449M, impacted a dry lake bed approximately 6 nautical miles southwest of Cedar City Municipal Airport (KCDC), Cedar City, Utah. Upper Limit Aviation was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airline transport pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI) and commercial pilot/CFI undergoing a company check flight, were fatally injured; the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The local company check flight departed Cedar City about 1215. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witnesses observed the pilot performing various maneuvers in the airplane over the dry lake bed, which was typically used as a training area. A witness observed the airplane in a nose-low descent and fluttering leaf before it impacted terrain.
The airplane was equipped with an on-board flight tracking system that recorded data points every 2 minutes. The last recorded data point indicated that the airplane was approximately 3,500 feet above ground level (agl) above the accident site, with a ground speed of 40 knots.
The airplane was documented on scene, and recovered to a secure storage facility.
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Salt Lake City FSDO-07
Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Retired Lt. Col. Command Pilot Alan Carver
Photo courtesy of Upper Limit Aviation.
Nathan Stoddard
Alan Carver with student, Stacy, before her first flight.
Cedar City Council Council Chambers, Cedar City, Utah
CEDAR CITY – The death of two Upper Limit Aviation instructors weighed heavily at the Council Chambers at Wednesday night’s Cedar City Council meeting, despite discussions of matters as usual concerning business ownership transfers and back-owed utility bill waivers.
The aftermath
On behalf of Upper Limit Aviation and the families of the two men who died in Monday’s plane crash, Upper Limit Aviation Communication and Business Relations Manager Scott Jolley addressed the City Council to express gratitude to the first responders who were at the scene Monday.
“As everybody’s aware, I think, within the community, we had an incident with a fixed-wing aircraft this week,” Jolley said. “It’s tragic.”
The Cedar City Regional Airport manager has been instrumental support for Upper Limit as they have responded to the tragedy, Jolley said, explaining to the City Council how the manager spent his anniversary helping the flight school with the crash and helped to recover the plane from the crash site.
“We were extremely grateful for how the airport’s run and the professionalism on the field,” he said, “(and the airport manager’s) professionalism in handling the scene of the accident, as he was the ultimate authority there to secure that scene.”
The aircraft was recovered and taken to Phoenix for further investigation to see if National Transportation Safety Board experts can better understand why the crash happened in the first place.
It is still unknown why the plane went down the way it did, Jolley said, but what is known is that shortly before the crash, everything was going along as normal.
“We know that, based on GPS coordinates and speed and altitude, that they were performing routine maneuvers for two instructors,” he said. “This was a new instructor that had had 1,200 hours – his ultimate goal was to acquire 200 to 300 hours with us and go on to be an airline transport pilot.”
Nathan Stoddard, 24, was new, Jolley said, and it was his second day on the job. Stoddard was receiving instructor proficiency training so he could take on students the following day.
Retired Lt. Col. Command Pilot Alan Carver, 50, was providing the training Stoddard would need to take on new students.
Southern Utah University grief counselors were brought in to Upper Limit Aviation’s staff meeting Wednesday morning to ensure staff members have the support they need to deal with the emotional components of such a terrible loss, Jolley said.
Originally, all of Upper Limit Aviation’s planes were grounded until after the funerals of the two men who lost their lives Monday, Jolley said, but flights are now set to resume on Tuesday instead of waiting for Stoddard’s funeral, which will take place later next week.
It was a concern that waiting too long would put rusty pilots back into aircraft, Jolley said, but he reassured the council no student will be forced to fly if they do not feel at ease in the sky – not just in the wake of this tragedy, but as per company policy.
Carver will be laid to rest Monday, Jolley said, with a viewing Sunday evening that will be open to the public.
Sunday’s viewing will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Southern Utah Mortuary, according to an obituary published in the Deseret News. A second viewing will take place Monday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Cedar North Stake Center, 95 N. 2125 West in Cedar City, and funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. at the stake center.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up in Carver’s name at Mountain America Credit Union.
Stoddard’s funeral will be Thursday in West Point, Utah, Jolley said.
Source: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com
- The plane crashed 200 yards from residential structures.
- No damage occurred to any structures and those living near by notified police.
- The crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
- Both pilots were found dead on the scene by the Iron County Sheriff Department.
- Alan Carver, age 50, was the chief flight instructor for fixed winged aircraft.
o Retired Lt Col Command Pilot with the United States Air Force.
o Began working at SUU July 2013.
o Carver has logged more than 6,000 flight hours.
o Married with three children, one child is currently serving a religious mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
o Bachelor’s of design engineering technology from Brigham Young University
o Master’s of aerospace composites from Utah State University.
- Nathan Stoddard, age 24, recently moved to Cedar City from Salt Lake City, Utah.
o Recently worked at Keystone Aviation as a transportation agent.
o Graduated from Lamar Community College with associate's of business degree in 2013.
o Graduated from Syracuse High School in Syracuse, Utah in 2009.
o Began working for Upper Limit Aviation October 2, 2015.
- Upper Limit Aviation has been in partnership with SUU since May 2013.
o 255 students currently in the SUU aviation program.
o “Upper Limit Aviation has been in operations since 2004 and constantly strives to provide the safest environment possible for its employees and students,” said by Mike Mower, chief operating officer and chief flight instructor for rotor wing.
Source: https://www.ironsheriff.net
CEDAR CITY — The names of two Southern Utah University flight instructors who died in a plane crash Monday 6 miles southwest of Cedar City have been released Tuesday along with details surrounding the incident.
Retired Lt. Col. Command Pilot Alan Carver, 50, and Nathan Stoddard, 24, were both found dead after something went wrong during a routine flight in a Cessna 152, owned by Upper Limit Aviation, causing the two men to crash near the northeast side of Quichapa Lake.
Carver was a fixed wing aircraft chief flight instructor and was conducting a routine instructor sign off with Stoddard, according to a media statement issued by SUU Tuesday afternoon.
The plane crashed at approximately 1:01 p.m., 200 yards from a home near the northeast side of Lake Quichapa which located about six miles southwest of Cedar City.
No damage occurred to any structures as the plane crashed into a dry area of the lake. Those living nearby notified the Iron County Sheriff’s Office of the crash.
Southern Utah University and Upper Limit Aviation have a public-private relationship and the aviation program has been located on SUU’s campus since May 2013.
The Upper Limit Aviation and SUU community said they are mourning the loss of the two aviation instructors.
Carver retired from the Air Force in 2012 and started working at SUU in July 2013. He had logged more than 6,000 hours of airtime, including 1,400 hours of combat flying, according to the media release.
Carver leaves behind a wife and three children.
“I cannot adequately express the depth of sorrow I feel for this tragic loss,” Carl Templin, dean of SUU’s School of Business and aviation program, said. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my colleagues and friends. My heart goes out to their families.”
Stoddard, who began working for SUU and Upper Limit on Oct. 2, was hired as a junior flight instructor, according to the statement. He recently moved to Cedar City from Salt Lake City where he worked as a transportation agent at Keystone Aviation.
“I have flown with Nathan before and he was a fine pilot,” Neil Donahue, SUU assistant chief flight instructor, said. “I was truly looking forward to working with him. He was going to be great teacher.”
Mike Mower, chief operating officer and chief flight instructor for rotor wing, said the pilots receive constant training so they can exceed the requirements mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Safety is our number one priority,” he said. “Everything from our maintenance department, flight operations to dispatch have policies and procedures in place to ensure a safe training environment.”
SUU President Scott L. Wyatt said this is an “incredibly sad time.”
“No one is ever prepared for a tragedy like this,” Wyatt said. “Many of our pilots have served our country and we appreciate the service they gave to us. We mourn with the pilots’ families, loved ones, the SUU community and City after such a loss.”
The crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Upper Limit Aviation officials stated they are fully cooperating with the investigation.
SUU and Upper Limit Aviation said they are doing “everything possible to alleviate financial burdens during this difficult time through coordination of benefits.”
Story, comments and photos: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com
Nathan Stoddard
Photo courtesy of Upper Limit Aviation.
Photo courtesy of Upper Limit Aviation.
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