Saturday, July 25, 2020

Aerodynamic Stall/Spin: Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance, N7677C; fatal accident occurred July 25, 2020 near South Valley Regional Airport (U42) West Jordan, Salt Lake County, Utah

Milda Shibonis

Mary Quintana

Lee & Coral Wyckoff
~



The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

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

Living Evergreen LLC

https://registry.faa.gov/N7677C

Location: West Jordan, UT
Accident Number: WPR20LA238
Date & Time: 07/25/2020, 1345 MDT
Registration: N7677C
Aircraft: Piper PA32R
Injuries: 4 Fatal, 2 Serious, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On July 25, 2020, about 1345 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300R, N7677C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Jordan, Utah. The pilot, two passengers, and one person on the ground received fatal injuries, two passengers received serious injuries, one passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.


A South Valley Regional Airport (U42) security camera recorded the accident airplane takeoff from runway 16, a 5862 ft long and 100 wide runway. The airplane appeared to become airborne abeam taxiway K2, about 3700 feet from the beginning of runway 16. See figure 1. The airplane remained in a shallow climb until the airplane was no longer visible in the security video. About 75 seconds after lifting off, a large plume of black smoke was visible in the distance south east. Figure 2 shows N7677C as it lifts off near taxiway K2.



Figure 1. Overhead view of U42, showing distance of runway used during the takeoff.

Figure 2. View of N7677C as it lifts off abeam taxiway K2.

Multiple witnesses reported they observed the airplane at a very low altitude, banking or "teetering" before it descended to the ground. Numerous first responders reported hearing a loud explosion followed by observing a house, garage and wreckage of the airplane engulfed in flames.


Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest in the backyard of a residential home about 1.5 miles southeast of U42. The fuselage came to rest on its left side, and all major structural components of the airplane were found within 40 ft of the main wreckage. A post-impact fire consumed portions of both wings and forward portion of the fuselage.


The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.


Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information


Aircraft Make: Piper

Registration: N7677C
Model/Series: PA32R 300
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan


Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions

Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: U42, 4606 ft msl
Observation Time: MDT
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 7°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 150°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.08 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: West Jordan, UT (U42)
Destination: Page, AZ (PGA)

Wreckage and Impact Information


Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious, 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 Fatal, 2 Serious, 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 40.618333, -111.988889 (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.


Family and friends are devastated at the passing of Lee Howard Wyckoff (age 43) of Mineral, VA and his 9-month-old daughter, Coral Anna Wyckoff, in a tragic plane crash on July 25, 2020 in West Jordan, Utah. While their deaths were unexpected, Lee and Coral, in her brief time, lived life to the fullest. Every day was filled with adventures, experiences and lives that they influenced.

Coral was born to Lee and Rebecca “Becky” Wyckoff on November 7, 2019 in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Her beautiful smile lit up the entire room. Coral was crawling and getting into all her brothers’ toys. She happily babbled away to anyone who would listen. She spent many hours playing in Lake Anna. She is survived, never to be forgotten, by her mother, Becky, her siblings Skylar and Cody, the Wyckoff and Boice families, especially grandparents, Elizabeth “Betty” Boice of Fenelton, Pennsylvania and Bernadette “Bunnie” and Gerald “Gerry” Wyckoff of Bumpass, Virginia.

Lee was born on August 19, 1976 in Alexandria, Virginia, to Bunnie and Gerry Wyckoff. In 1994, he graduated from Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Maryland, and four years later he graduated from Maryland's Towson University with a BS in Accounting. While working full-time for KPMG, Lee somehow found time to take classes at Johns Hopkins University, and in 2003 he graduated Summa Cum Laude with an MS in Engineering, Information Systems, and Technology. Lee grew up in Maryland, and later lived in Northern Virginia, Lake Anna, Virginia, Colorado, and Utah.

His professional career was diverse including senior positions with KPMG, CareFirst, BlueCross BlueShield, Genworth Financial, WellPoint, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Entrepreneur's Organization. Lee served as the first Inspector General for the State of Utah, where he oversaw a team tasked with rooting out medicaid fraud. It was during this period that Lee developed a deep love for, and strong ties to the State of Utah.

Lee lived life with a unique appreciation for how precious happy moments with friends are. He was spontaneous and vivacious. He loved skiing and did it with a childlike joy. He loved paragliding until he loved being around his family more. He learned to fly to make it easier to visit his oldest daughter Skylar. He wanted to be able to make it to her dance recital or just be there for her when she needed him. He loved flying and learning about planes. It was a family adventure traveling by plane and he amassed hundreds of hours visiting Skylar and going on spontaneous vacations.

Lee learned to wakeboard and was sponsored for a bit when he was a younger man riding on Lake Anna in contests with some lifelong friends. He developed a lifetime love of Lake Anna and when he left Utah and came back to the lake, he met the love of his life Becky.

After LT Rebecca Boice, USCGR completed a deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Lee and Becky married overlooking the lake, on November 25, 2017. They shared so many hobbies including scuba, travel, wakeboarding, snow sports and motorcycling together. Cody was born June 9, 2018 and Coral quickly followed. Out of all the adventures and achievements, Lee was most proud of being a family man; a loving husband to Becky, and devoted father to Skylar, Cody, and Coral. He lived and breathed for his family, and he wanted his children to develop the same love for sports and adventures that he and Becky had. Whether teaching Skylar to ski, Cody to swim or snuggling with Coral, he treasured those moments.

Lee was passionate about all his varied interests and strived to be the very best he could be at any of them. In paragliding, he participated in world championships.

He prided himself on being able to fix anything. The whole family would play down in the garage as he taught Cody and Skylar and Becky about different engines fixing up go carts for the kids or small outboard engines for dinghies on the lake. For Lee this was just another opportunity for his family to be together and continue to learn and grow together.

Lee is survived by his wife Becky, his parents, Bunnie and Gerry Wyckoff of Bumpass VA, his siblings, Shawn Wyckoff (Maria Millar) of Toronto, Ontario and Tara Wyckoff Martin (Peter), and his children, Skylar and Cody.

Lee Wyckoff is not easily forgotten by anyone who met him. His over the top personality, quick smile, and big heart will keep him in our thoughts long, long after his body is gone. He went out doing something he loved.

Arrangements were handled by the Memorial Redwood Mortuary and Cemetery of West Jordan, Utah. A celebration of Lee and Coral's life will be held in Utah and at Lake Anna as soon as Becky and Cody are healed enough to participate. Details will be shared so that anyone who wants to can attend.

In lieu of flowers, there are several nonprofits that help in areas that Lee was passionate about and one new, the burn unit that has helped Becky and Cody to recover. Please consider donating if you are able to.

seavalor.org (This is Lee’s close friend Eric’s non-profit that uses sailing to help people with PTSD)

healthcare.utah.edu/foundation/give.php (This is the burn unit donation site just select Burn Unit)

A celebration of Lee and Coral's life will be held on Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 11:00 AM Elk Creek Baptist Church Pavilion Mineral, Virginia. Please reach out to the family for further details.



KUTV obtained a photograph from a flight school in North Carolina that was posted on July 17th showing Wyckoff standing next to the Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance (N7677C).



Mary Quintana, 72, died of burn injuries days after a small airplane crashed into her West Jordan, Utah, home. The plane's pilot, his 9-month-old daughter and another female passenger died in the crash. 

WEST JORDAN, Utah (KSTU/CNN) - Neighbors helped get a 72-year-old woman out of her Utah home when an airplane crashed into it, killing three people onboard and setting the house on fire. The woman later died from severe burn injuries.

Neighbor Autumn Allen, who is studying to become an EMT, described feeling “inspired” by 72-year-old Mary Quintana’s strength as she pulled her away from her burning West Jordan, Utah, home on Saturday.

Allen thought she saved Quintana’s life, but the woman died Monday morning from injuries she sustained when her house caught on fire after a small airplane crashed into it.

“I think it’s going to be hard for the flashbacks to stop for people around here,” Allen said. “I’m at peace because I know that she’s not in pain.”

The Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance, flown by 43-year-old Lee Wyckoff, crashed into Quintana’s home after leaving South Valley Regional Airport. Dozens of neighbors responded to the site, trying to save everyone from the massive flames.

Lee Wyckoff, his 9-month-old daughter Coral and another passenger, identified as 36-year-old Milda Shibonis, died in the crash. The pilot's wife, Rebecca Wyckoff, and a 2-year-old boy suffered critical injuries. Shibonis' 12-year-old daughter was treated at a hospital and released.

The Quintana family has asked for privacy during this very difficult time. So many people have come out to see the crash site, neighbors had to post signs at various entrances of the neighborhood, urging people to be respectful.

Mary Quintana, 72, died of burn injuries days after a small airplane crashed into her West Jordan, Utah, home. The plane's pilot, his 9-month-old daughter and another female passenger died in the crash.

“People should just understand that there’s a boundary,” Allen said. “People didn’t want to go see 9/11. They were running from it. They didn’t want to see it. Why would you want to see this?”

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

https://www.wwnytv.com


WEST JORDAN, Utah — A small plane crashed in a suburban Salt Lake City neighborhood, killing at least three people, police said.

The crash happened Saturday afternoon when a Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance carrying six people crashed into a backyard in the city of West Jordan, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

Three people aboard the plane were killed, including the pilot, identified by police as 43-year-old Lee Wyckoff, his 9-month-old baby, and Milda Shibonis, 36, West Jordan police said.

The pilot’s wife is in critical condition, and a 2-year-old child has critical burns. A 12-year-old girl was treated at a local hospital and released, West Jordan Police spokeswoman Jennifer Worthen told CNN on Sunday.

A 72-year-old woman who was in a house struck by the plane is in critical condition, according to a tweet Sunday from the police department.

The crash also damaged three homes, West Jordan city spokesperson Tauni Barker said.

The cause of the crash has not been determined. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Police report possible casualties after plane carrying 6 people crashes into Utah backyard

The identities, and status of the the people involved with the crash have been released:

Lee Wyckoff 43, Deceased – Pilot of the plane
Coral Wyckoff, 9 months. deceased
Milda Shibonis 36, Deceased
Cody Mitchell 2, Critical burns on legs and arms
Rebecca Wyckoff 36, Critical condition
Veda Sheperd 12, (Walked away from the crash)
Mary Quintana 72, Critical condition – The homeowner who was hurt when the plane crashed.

https://www.eastidahonews.com



Lee Wyckoff piloted a plane that crashed into a West Jordan neighborhood on Saturday, July 25, 2020. He died, as did two others. Three survived as of Sunday, July 26th.

Police on Sunday morning released the names of those involved in a Saturday afternoon plane crash in a West Jordan neighborhood that killed three and injured four others.

The pilot, 43-year-old Lee Wyckoff, and his 9-month-old daughter, Coral Wyckoff, were killed. Wife and mother Rebecca Wyckoff, 36, was in critical condition.

Milda Shibonis, 36, also died in the crash. Her daughter Veda Sheperd, 12, was treated Saturday night and released from the hospital. Cody Mitchell, 2, was in critical condition with burns on his legs and arms.

The crash damaged three houses, critically injuring a seventh victim, 72-year-old Mary Quintana.

The Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance crashed about 1:40 p.m. Saturday in a neighborhood near 8800 South and 4000 West.

It remained unclear Sunday morning why the plane went down, but on Saturday evening, West Jordan police spokesperson Jennifer Worthen said the crash happened shortly after taking off from nearby South Valley Regional Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration began its investigation Saturday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety Board also will investigate the crash.





WEST JORDAN, Utah — Cindy Bond has lived in her West Jordan neighborhood for more than 30 years and never expected to receive the call she did on Saturday.

She was out shopping when she found out her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren were in their home when a plane leaving South Valley Regional Airport crashed into their neighbor's house around 1:30 p.m.

"I was shaking so hard, I could hardly get home," she said. "My other son was driving — thank heavens, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to.”

Her family members who were home at the time didn't know what happened when they heard the noise.

“They felt the house shake, they felt a big boom and they went outside to see," Bond said. "'Oh my gosh, is it another earthquake? I don’t know what it is,' and they got out there and found out that it was a plane crash.”

Her son jumped into action, helping in any way that he could.

“My son tried to put out some of the fire with the hose, but that wouldn’t do it because it was sparking and everything," she said.

He wasn’t the only one who rushed to save the people injured in the crash. In such a close-knit community, dozens of neighbors jumped in, trying to save everyone from the massive flames.

As they wait for answers, Bond says she’ll continue to do what she’s done for the last 30 years: support her neighbors and help those who are dealing with this tragic accident.

“Just really upset that that happened so close and that so many people got hurt. It’s just really bad,” Bond said.

Larry Jones saw a woman standing on her balcony — on fire — and rushed to help rescue her.

"It was just engulfed in flames. It was just done," Jones said. “The lady that lived in the house, you heard her screaming.”

The woman was taken to hospital and is in critical condition. FOX 13 spoke to her brother, Joe Murillo Jr.

"It’s terrible. It’s terrible," he said. "I lost my mom and dad, and that’s the only sister I've got. I hope I don’t lose her.”

During the chaos of the fire, some people say it took a minute before they realized what caused it.

“I turned to the right noticed there was a plane," Jones said. "I hadn’t even noticed the plane.”

The things bystanders saw when they jumped into action are sticking with them.

“What I couldn’t get out of my head was the view of the baby,” Adrian Ramirez said.

A 9-month-old girl was on the plane and died in the crash, and a 2-year-old boy also onboard is in the hospital in stable condition.

Ramirez gave one of the children CPR before beginning to help douse the flames on the plane. He also helped pull out the pilot, who later died from his injuries.

"I’d like to see them and see who made it out, just to see them," Ramirez said.


https://www.fox13now.com




West Jordan • Alyssa Cigarroa is accustomed to hearing planes fly over her house, just a few miles away from the South Valley Regional Airport. So, when she heard one Saturday afternoon, she didn’t think anything of it.

Then came the loud crash, a boom so great it shook her whole West Jordan home. Cigarroa thought it was an earthquake, but a look out through the back yard revealed thick black smoke and flames. She ran toward it, first-aid kit in hand.

When she got there, much of the neighborhood had already arrived, trying to help. Cigarroa remembers the eerie “high-pitched screams” of the victims and all the smoke.

The Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance crashed around 1:40 p.m. in a neighborhood near 8800 South and 4000 West. Six people were onboard, and police reported that three died.

The crash damaged three houses, critically injuring one elderly homeowner.

West Jordan police spokesperson J.C. Holt said the male pilot died in addition to a woman and a 9-month-old. Another woman who was on the plane was in critical condition, and a 2-year-old boy was stable Saturday evening. A 12-year-old female passenger was injured in the crash and was treated and released from the hospital.

It’s unclear why the plane crashed, but another police spokesperson, Jennifer Worthen, said it happened shortly after taking off from South Valley Regional Airport.

Veronica Taylor said she was at a nearby park when she saw a plane that “was super low, and it was so loud.” She pointed it out to her son.

Taylor said she continued to watch and thought to herself that the plane needed to gain some altitude. It was much too low.

“Then, all of a sudden, it disappeared from my view,” and Taylor said she saw a “big flame and a big plume of smoke” as it crashed.

She said that before the plane crashed, she noticed it making a noise that sounded to her like the engine was struggling.

The Federal Aviation Administration was at the scene beginning its investigation Saturday afternoon, Worthen said. It and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

Worthen said the community quickly came together to help the people on the plane and a person who was inside one of the homes.

Residents said the neighborhood was tight-knit, and it showed Saturday as dozens gathered in the streets in the crash aftermath, discussing what they’d seen and sharing information about a woman in one of the homes who’d been injured. Some set up lawn chairs in the shade as they waited.

Cigarroa said she doesn’t remember deciding to run toward the crash. She just did it, like an automatic “fight or flight” response.

“As soon as I saw what happened,” she said, “I just got my first-aid kit and went.”

When she got to the yard, she said she talked to a woman who’d been badly burned and had deep cuts on her legs and arms. She also saw two children, one she guessed was a toddler. The other, she thought, was a teenager.

Before paramedics arrived, the 21-year-old Cigarroa, who is studying to be a nurse, packed victims’ wounds with gauze to stop the bleeding. She did what she could to help when medics arrived.

Then, after ambulances had taken everyone away, and firefighters had put out the blaze, she went back home to try to process what she’d just seen.

https://www.sltrib.com










UPDATE: The pilot, a woman, and a 9-month-old girl onboard the plane that crashed into a West Jordan neighborhood Saturday died in the incident, police confirmed Saturday evening.

Three other people onboard were injured: A woman is in critical condition, a 2-year-old boy is in stable condition, and another child was treated at a hospital and released, according to a series of tweets from the West Jordan Police Department.

An elderly woman inside the house struck by the plane also was injured and is in critical condition.


Officials are still notifying family members, and the names of those involved will likely be released Sunday, police said.

WEST JORDAN — Fire and medical crews are responding after a plane carrying six people crashed into a home at 8691 S. 3780 West shortly after 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, an aircraft of unknown type and registration crashed into a residential backyard.

The crash resulted in “multiple injuries and possible casualties,” said West Jordan office Jennifer Worthen.

Several medical helicopters carried the injured to area hospitals, she said.

One house took the brunt of the damage and there was reportedly one person in the home when the crash occurred. That person’s condition was not available, Worthen said. Three houses sustained damage.

The plane took off from South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan. The cause of the crash was unknown, a statement by the FFA said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The tail numbers of the aircraft will be released once it is verified by investigators, according to a statement by Allen Kenitzer, of the FAA Office of Communications.

Jason Soriano, 13, who lives around the corner from the crash scene, said he was standing in his front yard and saw a plane flying “super low.”

“It was actually like rumbling, kind of. It was really low,” he said.

The next thing he saw was a black plume of smoke “and I saw the whole neighborhood come running out,” Soriano said.

West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton said the crash occurred in an established neighborhood, with many of the houses owned by the original owners.

“So they know each other extremely well and they’re very close knit. So they were on top of it very quickly to go help out the residents that were affected,” Burton said.

Burton said neighbors attempted to enter the front door of the home that was most damaged but had to get in another way and help the owner out.

“I don’t know what her condition is,” Burton said, but he took it as a positive sign that she was able to leave the house.


https://www.ksl.com


































WEST JORDAN — A single-engine plane carrying six people crashed into the backyard of a house shortly after 1:30 p.m. Saturday, resulting in the deaths of a 9-month-old infant, a woman and the man piloting the aircraft.

The injured passengers of the Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance include an adult female who is in critical condition, a 2-year-old child in stable condition and a 12-year-old child who was treated and released, according to West Jordan police.

The only person reported injured on the ground, a woman whose house at 8691 S. 3780 West was struck by the plane, is in critical condition, police said.

Joe Murillo, who identified himself to the Deseret News as the 72-year-old woman’s brother, said she was badly burned. She had lived in the home about 20 years, he said.

West Jordan police said the victim’s identities will be released once police are able to notify their next of kin.

Murillo said his sister’s house took the brunt of the crash. Police said three houses sustained damage.

Mayor Dirk Burton said neighbors rushed to the crash site to help their neighbors and help the woman escape her home.

“I don’t know what her condition is,” Burton said, but he said he took it as a positive sign that she was able to leave the house.

Burton said the crash occurred in an established neighborhood, with many of the houses owned by the original owners.

“So they know each other extremely well and they’re very close knit. So they were on top of it very quickly to go help out the residents that were affected,” Burton said.

Jason Soriano, 13, who lives around the corner from the crash scene, said he was standing in his front yard and saw a plane flying “super low.”

“It was actually like rumbling, kind of. It was really low,” he said.

The next thing he saw was a black plume of smoke “and I saw the whole neighborhood come running out,” Soriano said.

The plane took off from South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan. The cause of the crash was unknown, a statement by the FAA said.  

The tail numbers of the aircraft will be released once it is verified by investigators, according to a statement by Allen Kenitzer, of the FAA Office of Communications.  The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.





50 comments:

  1. Field elevation at South Valley Regional Airport is 4,600 feet. 90 degrees there today. Six people in a non-turbo Piper Lance. Sounds like a density altitude issue.

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    Replies
    1. Definitely could have been a factor. I fly a turbo Lance out of Reno, NV and there are many times where I would be stuck on the ground if it were not for that Turbo on high DA days out in the Rockies/Sierras. They look like they had been doing a lot of traveling from the east and that also means a lot of potential baggage. Very sad.

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    2. A 12 year old, 2 year old and 9 month old would probably equate to 1 adult max, so with the 3 adult pax it would be the equivalent to 4 adult pax in total.

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    3. According to the the FAA registration on this plane it has a Lycoming TIO-540 engine.

      From Lycoming - TIO-540 Turbocharged, fuel-injected, horizontally opposed cylinders.

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    4. The faa registration listings often have the wrong engine, they have the wrong ones on a couple of mine.
      I've seen pics of the airplane pre crash and the accident scene photos and the cowling is a naturally aspirated cowl. Also the turbo was not introduced till 78 in the Lance. Could have had an aftermarket turbo kit installed but being an east coast airplane I doubt it.

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    5. Looking at social media pictures online, none of the adults appeared to be on the heavy side. The pilot I would guess was 200 tops, and the two females were definitely under 175.

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  2. Just read the comment about the engine sounding like it was struggling. As a flatlander I do wonder if he didn't realize he needed to lean the engine for takeoff at a 4600' airport, especially with a DA probably around 7000' and it was running very rich.

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    Replies
    1. Good point, spark plug condition inspection may confirm sooted plugs instead of tan if so. Photos show engine section not consumed by fire and prop still on, so lends itself to high fidelity inspection.

      Might even be able to test run in a stand with a club prop if that port-side impact with the dirt did not overstress the cylinder barrels.

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    2. That came to mind for me as well. He flew to Utah from Virginia and may not have known to lean properly.

      Found pictures online of the three adults who died in the crash, none of them appear to be that heavy (for a Lance I mean).

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    3. Regarding leaning: The Lance replaced his Tiger AA-5B that he had been flying over the mountains. The Tiger POH has instructions to lean for high altitude takeoffs, so he should have been aware and have the needed understanding from doing so in the Tiger.

      http://www.grummanpilotsassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AA-5B-POH-1977-78-79-SM.pdf

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  3. Pushing the limits again,do people check weight and balance these days ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was probably legal as the kids were younger , but, legal isn't always safe if the DA was anywhere from 7000 to 9000 feet .

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  4. Official Weather data recorded from nearest station (SLC):

    DayMonth MDT TmpF DP RH Wind Vis Sky Station Altimeter
    25 Jul 1:30 pm 91 40 17 NNW 6 10.00 CLR 25.71 30.02

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  5. That makes the density altitude 7600 feet.

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  6. Please note: If you have Ring, Nest or any other door bell video from the crash-site area, kindly please forward to FAA or NTSB. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Or engine-sound audio, even if plane not in view.

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    2. ^Agree with engine-sound audio.^

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  7. Amazing that the 12 year old was able to walk away from the crash.

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    Replies
    1. Rear-facing high back seating in the second row may have been the reason. Photos show that the engine and forward fuselage came to rest on the port side without impacting directly on the nose.

      A person of that age seated to starboard and facing rearward there would have full body support during the primary collisions and not be under anyone else after port side ground contact finally stopped the fuselage in this accident.

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  8. Propeller damage seems to indicate the engine wasn't producing power when it crashed.

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  9. Pinned location of crash impact area shown in map link below. Is 1.3 miles from end of RW 16 takeoff. White swing set is visible in adjacent backyard when zoomed in, helps orientation to street level KR photo and still photos in article at second link.

    Distance of engine and fuselage from impacted structures shows horizontal momentum, did not impact nose down.

    http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&q=loc:40.592879+-111.982472

    https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/crews-responding-to-large-fire-in-west-jordan-witnesses-report-plane-crash

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  10. KSL news helicopter flyover video after fires were out shows a view of the entire fuselage with tail attached and right wing nearby (see 0:13 to 0:17 time period in video link). Why would the rear cabin suffer such a large fire after the wings were left behind?

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1287226715895300096

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  11. My family had a brand new 76 Piper Lance... It did not have club seats that had the Cherokee 6 style seats... I remember it was a real dog when it was hot out.. we sold it after a year and upgraded to a Turbo Aztec F. I was a low time private IFR college kid... And could have gotten into a lot of trouble with that airplane... They are very sleek and nice to look at....at the time a retractable gear Cherokee 6 was a very cool thing.... It just didn't have the performance... Especially in summer weather...and if you got a little slow in a hot and heavy climb the auto gear would extend.. making things worse... I think people think they are six place SUVs but....not really...

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  12. We can speculate. We will leave it up to the NTSB. The plane wreakage has been gathered up and being trucked to AZ for detailed analysis. The pilot just had passed his Instrument rating and had flown from the east coast without problems. He was certainly competent. Sadly these accident investigations take time and are very complete. Indeed this was a tragic occurance. In my opinion the pilot flew the plane well into the crash. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family's and those survivors under medical care and pray for their recovery. The neighborhood residents certainly were a great factor and risked their lives in attempting the rescue of those aboard the aircraft and from the burning homes.

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    1. Like most accidents involving fatalities it's going to end up being a series of poor decisions. Any one two or three decisions together would not have resulted in what we have here. All comes down to decision making.

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    2. If performance reduction solely due to density altitude was the failure, he made decisions for:
      1. Operating at the 4600' elevation airfield in July.
      2. Accepting un-reducable weight of the group (traveling together).
      3. Limiting or maximizing fuel weight (choice is not yet known).
      4. Accepting 91 degF 1:30 pm departure (was 73 degF at 7 am)
      5. Continue or abort takeoff (late rotation/poor climb at rotate).

      #1 and #2 were choices made in trip planning. He could have retained some performance if #3 and #4 were optimized. Departing high and hot should always include commit/abort decision before half of the runway was used (and pre-brief the pax about that). Several decisions involved.

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    3. His flight plan included a trip over the grand canyon it looks like and 4.5 hours of flight time as well which would be full fuel and no way he wasnt over gross weight. I own and fly a 76 Turbo Lance and no way would I take off with that DA and over gross.
      His previous flights on the trip show legs of nearly 5 hours which must have left fumes to run on. several dangerous decisions not just on this flight but several others preceding.

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    4. he must have had a bladder of steel 5 hour flights is a long haul, having to pee and the last half hour being puckered shut hoping your gonna make it to the fuel pump. Not a position I would want to be in

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    5. @AnkleFixer: Full fuel is likely, as you suggest. And since Ms. Shibonis lived in SLC, she and her daughter were probably added for the first time during the accident takeoff. Pilot had thus been flying about 200 lbs lighter before those extra pax joined the group (including a few pounds of overnight stay baggage).

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  13. He just passed his ifr checkride last week.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8564407/PICTURED-Two-adults-killed-alongside-nine-month-old-girl-small-plane-crashed-Utah-home.html

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  14. Obviously I wasn't there, no one knows for sure what was going on in the plane, and/or what ATC may have asked him to do after departure but it appears if he had been able to maintain runway heading (straight out departure) a very slight turn to the right would have allowed him to have put it down in the open field right next to the neighborhood when they went down.

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    1. The runway 16 as-built heading is listed as 158 magnetic, 172 true. The published departure procedure for RW16 does give 158° heading straight out (see below).

      Recognizing and making that farm field would have been a lucky break. Judging from the map image, the land there should have corn growing on it in July.

      TAKEOFF MINIMUMS
      Rwy 16: Standard with minimum climb of 300' per NM to 7800.

      DEPARTURE ROUTE DESCRIPTION
      TAKEOFF RUNWAY 16: Climb heading 158° to 5107, then climb to 9000 direct HOKEG, and on track 159° to FFU VORTAC and hold, thence maintain 9000. Expect further clearance to filed altitude and route within 10 minutes after departure.

      From:
      https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2008/00366SOUTHVALLEY.PDF

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  15. The just-previous owner of N7677C (PA32R LLC of Somerset, KY) had a breakdown in October of 2018 that stranded the plane in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Would be interesting to check the logs to see what type of repairs were done at the time.

    The stranding of the plane led to Federal Charges. N7677C may have been sold to the accident pilot as a government auction forfeit bird, in which case a very thorough annual inspection would have been prudent.

    https://txktoday.com/crime/men-who-smuggled-cocaine-in-plane-rental-car-plead-guilty-in-texarkana-federal-court/

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  16. The house owner died. So 4 people died (3 adults and a baby).

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  17. I have owned a lance and a saratoga,
    full fuel, full of bags and 2 up front, 31 grown and 2 smaller in the back? I had little ones too when I had the saratoga. I will let you know that the little ones don't weigh much but all the diaper bags, formula bags, basenette stroller, and so on sure do! Think about the supplies for a 5 hour flight.
    That plane would be a struggle for sure at a DA of 7600 and if he didn't lean, that would do the trick. I would have to look back at the charts but I don't think at gross she would do it. at least not without a Very long runway. that one was 4600? At 7500 feet, the mixture should be back for best power, alot. Seems like quite a nice plane, all glass panel, upgraded paint, Looks like he put a ton of money in it recently. This is such a shame. I was the same age with the same plane having fun family trips. All lost.
    RIP

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    1. Not to diminish the significance of the nice glass panel upgrade and paint, the upload dates of those photos run from 2009 to 2011. He may have done additional upgrades or replacements on the Lance before it replaced his Tiger.

      Photos:
      https://flightaware.com/photos/aircraft/N7677C

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  18. Pilots experience in mountain flying and level of maintenance is something to look at. Here is some added insight: The pilot also owns a 1976 Grumman Tiger N74642 and RV-6A N5060. A May 31, 2020 Barnstormers advertisement to sell the Tiger (still visible in google cache) included statements:

    "Flown across the country several times in the last two years; over the mountains with no worries. Owner purchased a larger aircraft for business travel and no longer needs this aircraft."

    The Tiger ad text also lists "93 hours STOH w four new Cylinders (6/2019). New Paint, windows, stainless hardware in 10/2019" "Fresh Annual 6/2020" "ADS-B out, Whelen LED Landing, Navstrobe LED Marker. JPI EDM700 4 Ch EGT/CHT. Trutrak ADI backup GPS driven Horizon. Century AP. Sensenich Prop." "Basic VFR Panel and yoke mount IFly 740b"

    Whatever the cause of the crash, his aviation engagement includes experience beyond East Coast/low field elevations-only piloting. The listing for the Tiger suggests that he took an interest in upkeep and upgrading his aircraft.

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    1. Whatever experience he had, he only obtained his private 2 years ago and only obtained his ifr rating a week before he died.

      Basically he bought the Tiger to do enough cross-country hours to get his ifr rating.

      Delete
    2. I see a lot of posts on K Report referring to information retrieved from the FAA.gov site on Airmen Certs. You can't trust the site to have accurate information. It's routinely incorrect. For example, I've had my PPL since 1996, and FAA.gov site lists me having received it just last year.

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    3. The dates in the airmen registry reflect the most recent activity, such as added ratings, address changes and the like. It lags and yes, there are errors. The opt-outs won't show if the location boxes (including USA) are not left blank for the search.

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  19. Still no prelim for this accident yet? Not seeing it on the monthly accident synopses.

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    1. NTSB Preliminary report is out:

      https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20200725X73345&AKey=1&RType=Prelim&IType=LA

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    2. Thanks. 3700 ft just for initial liftoff, yikes.

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    3. That long ground roll and shallow climb supports the scenario of too much weight, too little power delivered for density altitude that day.

      If the plane had taken off crisply with a normal climb and then faltered, power loss away from the airfield would have been better supported as a possible cause.

      Delete
  20. Probably could have left the photo of the firefighter out who was obviously reacting to ‘a very bad day at the office‘.

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    Replies
    1. Honestly I like photos of firefighters doing what they do, endlessly and tirelessly. Most firefighters rush into these accidents with a primary goal of saving lives, this photo shows the toll it takes on them and it's very much a human one.

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  21. Many years ago my experience was similar--but with a very short runway--and no disaster. But after takeoff, everything was mushy and wobbly.

    Cherokee Six, fuel injected, taking 5 passengers to Houston from Logan, Utah in the mid-1970's. Decided to refuel in Espanola (near Santa Fe, New Mexico.)

    My reasoning to stop to refuel at a country airport was to avoid busier Santa Fe.

    It was a very warm summer morning in Espanola, 5700 feet airport altitude, SHORTISH runway at the time. Runway sloped downhill, wind came from the uphill end of the runway.

    The airport operator was reached by telephone and came out very late to refuel us.

    In the interim, I took out the handbook (Cherokee 6 POH) and calculated the maximum fuel we could take on and still get off the ground. I did more weight and balance calculations but was getting worried as the air temperature was getting HOT.

    But the numbers I penciled out during my calculations assured me we would get off the ground.

    And no, I did not factor in any extra margin.

    I stopped the refueling when we put in the exact number of gallons I wanted.

    The owner of the Cherokee 6 (a student pilot) wanted to do the takeoff and I consented to allow him. I said we had to do a short field takeoff, so that meant keeping the nose wheel on the ground as long as possible.

    During the takeoff run, the owner pulled back on the control wheel twice and I shouted at him to keep the control wheel forward. After the second time he pulled back the control wheel, I shouted that "I have the airplane."

    With the stall warning blaring, the end of the runway fast approaching us, I knew we were in an extremely marginal condition airspeed-wise.

    Shortly before we crossed over the end of the runway, I reached down and pulled up on the flap lever and set flaps to about 10 degrees (but I honestly don't remember if it wasn't 20 degrees!)

    The airplane mushed into the air, fairly fully loaded-with rising terrain ahead--all the while with the stall warning blaring away.

    I nursed us out of that situation and we continued on our way to Houston, Texas.

    Now why did I use flaps?

    Well, a few years prior in Alaska, I rode with a seaplane pilot who would pop on about 10 degrees of flaps to become unstuck while taking off from glassy water.

    I did my best to keep the holes in the swiss cheese from lining up and to this day I look back on the wisdom of carefully calculating our takeoff weight and distance.

    I did not factor in the surprise element of allowing the airplane owner to attempt the takeoff, but I appreciated my decisiveness in taking control back from the student pilot (a businessman whose family was aboard).

    The wind, the slope of the runway, the rising terrain, the late arrival of the fuel person and rapidly rising temperatures in July were all environmental factors that I had to consider prior to takeoff. I felt somewhat surprised and not very well-prepared to deal with that array of factors but I did give it immense thought and preparation because I realized the situation I put us in.

    (I remain grateful for your comments, insight and criticism, as I have rarely mentioned this in a forum that gets visited by many people far smarter than I.)

    Condolences to all who lost loved ones in the Utah accident.

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  22. Not sure why it's not linked above, but the NTSB final report is out.
    https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101669/pdf

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