Saturday, July 04, 2020

Cessna 172M Skyhawk, N6929H: Fatal accident occurred July 03, 2020 in Alpine, Utah County, Utah


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.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah

https://registry.faa.gov/N6929H

Location: Alpine, UT
Accident Number: WPR20LA203
Date & Time: 07/03/2020, 0722 MDT
Registration: N6929H
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Injuries: 4 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On July 3, 2020, about 0722 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N6929H, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Alpine, Utah. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Radar data revealed that the airplane departed at 0637 from South Valley Regional Airport (U42) Salt Lake City, Utah, on a southerly heading. A witness located near the accident site observed the airplane inside a box canyon executing a right bank turn, followed by a couple of left and right wing-tip oscillations before it entered a clockwise, corkscrew spin. The airplane made about 1 1/2 -2 rotations before it disappeared from the witness's line of sight. The airplane impacted terrain in a horizontal attitude with a little to no forward movement.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make:Cessna 
Registration: N6929H
Model/Series:172 M 
Aircraft Category:Airplane 
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation:  K36U, 5637 ft msl
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 11 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction:
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Salt Lake City, UT (U42)
Destination: Salt Lake City, UT (U42)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire:None 
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion:None 
Total Injuries: 4 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 40.499167, -111.658056 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.



UTAH COUNTY, Utah (KUTV) — An American Fork man and his two children were hiking Box Elder Peak Friday morning when they saw the plane crash that killed four people.

Gregg Rawlings and his two teenage sons stopped for a water break and to take pictures when they looked up and saw the plane getting closer.

“It corkscrewed maybe one-and-a-half, two times and went below the tree level. And we’re like, 'what is going on?' I didn’t know if it was a stunt plane trying to do something, but just moments later we heard the impact,” said Rawlings.

Immediately after that, they hiked further up the peak to get cell phone service and called 911. Then they made their way closer to the crash to get the coordinates to first responders, and to see if they could help.

“That is someone’s family down there. We don’t know what happened; we don’t know what state they’re in. We need to go check it,” Rawlings recalled.

Rawlings and his sons found the plane in a green grassy area. They said there wasn’t any smoke or flames like they were expecting,

“We came upon the plane, calling out, seeing if there was any response to see if there was any type of survivors, if we could help with what first aid we know. We walked upon the wreckage closer, there was no responses, it was pretty evident that there was no survivors.”

They gave first responders pictures of the site, and the exact coordinates, as well as the details of what they saw leading up to the crash.

“When we hung up there, it was kind of a relief, knowing that we felt like we have done everything that we could,” said Rawlings.

He said the first responders coached him with how to help his boys deal with the traumatic experience.

“How to just make sure they’re OK, as we go into the future. Just making sure the trauma of what we saw and experienced doesn’t continue to affect them.”

He said he is happy they were there and able to help get first responders to the crash quickly, and not leave the family of those on board wondering what had happened. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.

Four people died in the crash: The pilot, Tyson Brummett, and three passengers; Alex Blackhurst Ruegner and his aunt and uncle, Doug and Elaine Blackhurst.

https://kjzz.com


SALT LAKE CITY — Four people are dead following the crash of a small plane Friday morning in American Fork Canyon. 

The crash occurred above the Granite Flat campground in the Box Elder Peak area, according to Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the crash just minutes before 8 a.m. They were told by a witness that he and his two sons were hiking when they saw the plane begin to turn then spiral down toward the earth, according to Cannon.

The witness, Gregg Rawlings, was on a hike with his two teenage sons in the area Friday morning when they saw the plane getting closer and closer to where they stood overlooking the canyon.

“Seconds later we heard this thud, and we knew it had wrecked and hit the bottom of the canyon. At that point we were all a bit in shock,” Rawlings said. “We knew we had to quickly help.”

Rawlings said they didn’t have service at the time so he and his sons hiked farther up the mountain until they were able to make contact with dispatch. Upon notifying dispatch about the crash, Rawlings said they made their way down to the wreckage.

“I said, ‘OK, that is someone’s family down there. We need to get down to that wreckage as quickly as we can. One, we need to see if by chance there are any survivors and what we can do to help. Two, we need to get the exact coordinates of that plane wreck,’” he said.

According to Rawlings, it was pretty evident from what they saw that there were no survivors in the crash. From there, he and his sons hiked back up the canyon to give dispatch the exact coordinates.

Teams arrived shortly after.

“We were in the right place at the right time to witness everything that went on, so I was just happy there was not hours and hours spent of people’s time trying to find the wreckage somewhere in the mountains,” he said.

Cannon identified the passengers as pilot Tyson Colby Brummett, 35, of Salt Lake City; Alex Blackhurst Ruegner, 35, of Riverton; Elaine W. Blackhurst, 60, and Douglas Robinson Blackhurst, 62, both of Riverton.

The group had left South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan early Friday morning, according to Cannon.

Investigators from National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will respond to the crash scene in hopes of determining what caused the crash.

https://www.deseret.com

Gregg Rawlings helps Utah County officials find a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash near Box Elder Peak after he watched the plane go down on  July 3, 2020. He shared these photos with officials to help them locate the downed plane.








A helicopter prepares to land near Box Elder Peak above the Granite Flat Campground in American Fork Canyon where a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crashed late Friday morning.


A helicopter arrives to collect the remains of four people who were killed in a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash in American Fork Canyon and transport their bodies to the medical examiner. 


A helicopter arrives to collect the remains of four people who were killed in a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash in American Fork Canyon and transport their bodies to the medical examiner. 


A photo of treetops that may have been grazed by a Cessna 172M Skyhawk as it spiraled down in American Fork Canyon on July 3rd, 2020, killing all four people onboard.


A photo of treetops that may have been grazed by a Cessna 172M Skyhawk as it spiraled down in American Fork Canyon on July 3rd, 2020, killing all four people onboard. 

First responders assemble at a designated staging area in American Fork Canyon after reports of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash near Box Elder Peak on July 3rd, 2020. 

First responders assemble at a designated staging area in American Fork Canyon after reports of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash near Box Elder Peak on July 3rd, 2020. 


A trailhead marker near the designated staging area for law enforcement and first responders after a Cessna 172M Skyhawk carrying four people crashed in American Fork Canyon on July 3rd, 2020. 

Law enforcement vehicles assemble near the site of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash in American Fork Canyon on July 3rd, 2020.

Crews working in American Fork Canyon where a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crashed late Friday morning. 


Law enforcement vehicles assemble near the site of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash in American Fork Canyon on July 3rd, 2020. 


First responders assemble at a designated staging area in American Fork Canyon after reports of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash near Box Elder Peak on July 3rd, 2020. 

First responders assemble at a designated staging area in American Fork Canyon after reports of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash near Box Elder Peak on July 3rd, 2020.

First responders assemble at a designated staging area in American Fork Canyon after reports of a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crash near Box Elder Peak on July 3rd, 2020. 




First responders from the Lone Peak Fire District at the scene near where a Cessna 172M Skyhawk crashed in American Fork Canyon on July 3rd, 2020. 


UTAH COUNTY — Emergency crews responded to a fatal airplane crash in American Fork Canyon Friday morning.

According to the Utah County Sheriff's Office, the plane went down near Box Elder Peak, north of the city of Alpine, and the Granite Flat campground just before 8:00 AM between the Deer Creek and White Pines trails.

The victims on board the plane were the pilot, Tyson Colby Brummett, 35, of Salt Lake City; Alex Blackhurst Ruegner, 35, of Riverton; and Alex's aunt and uncle Elaine W. Blackhurst, 60, of Riverton and her husband, Douglas Robinson Blackhurst, 62, both of Riverton. They departed from the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan.

Brummett was a former professional baseball player who had played with major league teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays.

"We kind of looked at each other and realized that was someone’s family... we needed to do what we could," said Gregg Rawlings, who witnessed the crash while hiking with his two sons. "We took some landmarks of where we saw it go down and we started walking towards those landmarks."

Rawlings and his sons, after making note of where the plane went down, walked back up the trail to an area with cell reception and called 911. They then walked back down the trail, where they learned that all four people on board the aircraft had been killed.

All four bodies have been taken to the medical examiner’s office in Taylorsville.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

https://www.fox13now.com

Alex Blackhurst Ruegner
November 2, 1984 ~ July 3, 2020

Viewing:
July 12, 2020
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Larkin Mortuary Riverton 3688 West 12600 South Riverton, Utah
Service:
July 13, 2020
4:00 AM
Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery 1950 East 10600 South Sandy, Utah 84092

To know Alex was to love Alex, as he shared his pure joy and enthusiasm for life with all those with whom he crossed paths.

Adoring husband, beloved son, loving and engaged uncle, favorite coach, and genuine friend to everyone, Alex was an example of Christlike love and service all his life.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Janice and Roland Ruegner, he was an easy baby turned energetic child. (His parents admit the "terrible twos" lasted from about age two to eighteen.) As he grew up in Riverton, Utah, it was clear Alex was a loving child, always smiling and never embarrassed to show affection, traits that would carry through to adulthood.

Alex was a natural and life-long athlete. He played baseball at a young age, but was distracted by dandelions and switched to soccer, the sport where he truly excelled. Soccer played an integral role throughout his life, both as a talented player and a coach. Alex developed his talents at annual summer soccer camps, through club soccer, and collegiately on athletic scholarship at William Penn University, and later BYU-Hawaii, where he played 3 years, and also graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing in 2010.

In addition, he was a dedicated and fun-loving coach to hundreds of players during his tenure at BYU-Hawaii as Men’s Assistant Coach and Women’s Head Coach. Alex was also an avid skier and all-around lover of the outdoors.

As a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Alex had a firm testimony of his Savior, and shared that truth with friends and family, including the people of Argentina during his service as a full-time missionary in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission, from 2004-2006.

Alex was always industrious, with jobs in lawn care, security, software sales, and most recently aviation. His dream was to become a pilot, and he had taken the first steps toward fulfilling his dream. He was loved by his many work families.

Alex had a heart of gold, and naturally, loved many. None so much as his sweet wife Kendra.

In 2017, Alex and Kendra were set up on a blind date. Soon after, Alex would claim he pretty much knew she was "the one.” He patiently waited until Kendra knew with absolute certainty that she wanted to spend the rest of eternity with him. He was head over heels in love with her, and she with him, and on October 17, 2019 they were married in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. Deeply in love, they were excited to move into their first house and build a beautiful, adventure-filled life together.

Alex leaves behind his wife Kendra Stephenson Ruegner, parents Roland Gerhardt Ruegner and Janice Blackhurst Ruegner, siblings Ryan (Andrea) and Chari (Seth), grandparents Reinhold and Noni Ruegner, adorable nieces and nephews, a large and supportive extended family, and an incredible amount of friends - too many to count.

Alex also leaves behind a legacy of goodness, optimism, faith, and contagious joy. Even death cannot dim the light and influence this exceptionally good soul had on the lives of so many.

Visitation Information:
Sunday, July 12
6:00-8:00pm
Larkin Mortuary Riverton
3688 W. 12600 S.
Riverton, Utah 84065

Graveside Funeral Service:
Monday, July 13
10:00am
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 East 10600 South
Sandy, Utah 84092

For both Visitation and Graveside Service:
Please wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

For Graveside Service: bring your own chair, umbrella or hat, and water.

10 comments:

  1. I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess at the density altitude in that area. Four adults in a C172 at that altitude; looking for trouble.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was curious because I've been training in that plane for the weeks prior. Some calculators online have it around 11-13K density alt.

      Delete
    2. I owned that plane for 10 years wouldn’t have put 4 people in it.

      Delete
  2. Many years ago a newly minted CFI took four family member up in a C172 at Comair Academy. They never returned. Stall/spin with a aft CG.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Edit; three family members, four total.

      Delete
  3. Yes, but why no fire / explosion, especially with the wing apparently separated at impact? Implies possibly also out of fuel?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wings stayed on the plane if you look at the hiker's photos that show the plane before emergency workers cut it apart to retrieve the victims. The photos of the plane in pieces are after crews made it that way.

      Wings did not tear open where the fuel tanks are located and it is not a "wet wing" design. The flight was 25 minutes, so fuel exhaustion would seem unlikely if his CFI ticket gave him the expected diligence to do a pre-flight check of the rental airplane.

      Delete
  4. The airplane went beyond where FlightAware receivers could record their ADS-B signal, so no data can be examined there for the final track in the canyon. The 25 minutes of flight track data shown only goes until they reached Vivian Park.

    https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N6929H

    ReplyDelete
  5. Preliminary report 20 July 2020 says aircraft impacted terrain in a horizontal attitude with a little to no forward movement. Witness saw turn, wingtip oscillation and corkscrew spin.

    https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20200703X05843&AKey=1&RType=Prelim&IType=LA

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fundraiser for one of the passengers:

    https://www.gofundme.com/f/qe8qtz-alex039s-funeral

    ReplyDelete