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
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah
https://registry.faa.gov/N761RG
Location: Hanna, UT
Accident Number: WPR20LA258
Date & Time: 08/07/2020, 1145 MDT
Registration: N761RG
Aircraft: Cessna T210
Injuries: 2 Serious, 4 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On August 7, 2020, about 1145 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M airplane, N761RG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hanna, Utah. The private pilot and one passenger were seriously injured and 4 other passengers had minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that the engine experienced a loss of power during a turn over mountainous terrain. The pilot decided to fly down a canyon as the propeller continued to windmill. He initiated a forced landing in an open field where the airplane experienced a hard landing. The open field is on the banks of Moon Lake at an elevation of 8,100 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane's forward fuselage and cabin area were crushed upwards and the engine was partially separated from the airplane. Both wings were buckled near the tips.
Preliminary flight track data shows the airplane as it departed Roosevelt Municipal Airport (74V), Roosevelt, UT, and climbed northwest over mountainous terrain. The track turns to the west and continues to climb to an altitude of 12,927 ft msl. The track then decreases in altitude as it turns southwest approaching a large canyon. Shortly after the flight track data stops at 11,575 ft msl. The accident site was about 7 1/2 miles south of the last flight track.
The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N761RG
Model/Series: T210 M
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: U67, 5105 ft msl
Observation Time: 1100 MDT
Distance from Accident Site: 29 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction:
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious, 4 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious, 4 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 40.566944, -110.500278 (est)
MOUNTAIN HOME, Utah — A small plane carrying six people crashed near Moon Lake in Duchesne County, and miraculously, everyone survived. The plane’s pilot spoke to KSL from his hospital room about the crash and what happened for all six people to survive.
Shadrach Feild shared that he trained a lot for a worst case scenario, and while that training kicked in, he felt divine intervention’s hand.
“I absolutely know that God had his hand in this,” Shadrach Feild said. “It’s a miracle.”
When you see what’s left of the Cessna T210M Turbo Centurion, it’s hard to believe that everyone on board survived.
“For the terrain that we were in and how it all unfolded, it takes more than a good pilot to get through this,” he said.
Six people were onboard the plane including Feild, his wife Jazlyn, their family friends Betsey and Gentry Mikesell, and their 16-year-old teenage twin sons, Brock and Boston Mikesell.
The group said they were out flying near Moon Lake on Friday morning.
“When I came over the corner over the lake, there was a lot of wind coming at me, which isn’t normally a big deal,” Feild said. “My plane — a Turbo Charged 210 — has plenty of horsepower.
That’s when Feild said the engine gave out.
“I pushed the throttle in and there was no power,” he said. “It kept running, but there was just no power.”
“It took about 12 seconds from that point to the time we touched down,” said Betsey Mikesell, explaining that they only had moments to brace for impact.
Meanwhile, Shad prepared the plane and crew for an emergency landing.
“I remember telling them I would take care of them,” Feild said, holding back emotions. “We made it across the lake.”
“Because Shad was so calm, I just thought he was landing it. He never said, ‘we’re going to crash,’” Mikesell said.
As Shad looked for a landing spot, he spotted two possible locations. The first, he said, was a beach, but there were people on it and he feared his tires wouldn’t handle the sand well. The second option was an open field.
“I thought it would be better to try and land in the sagebrush flat,” Feild said. “I didn’t want to flip over and hurt the people in the back.”
“For some reason in my mind, I was just so calm,” Mikesell said. “I just remember bracing and holding onto the seat in front of me.”
Mikesell said she was the first one out of the plane as nearby campers ran to their rescue.
“Someone said that you could feel angels everywhere, and I feel like that is what we experienced, “ Mikesell said. “Someone else said that it looked like we were just being carried down to the ground, and I swear that is literally what happened.”
“I lost my dad about four years ago, and I know that he helped,” Feild said. “I could feel him the whole time.”
Brock managed to walk away from the crash.
Gentry and Shad, who were at the front of the plane, suffered back and spinal injuries and remain hospitalized. Gentry also has a broken femur, tibia, and shattered ankle. Betsey said he broke his nose and face in 3 places.
Shad’s wife Jazyln broke her arm and wrist.
Boston, the other twin, fractured a hip.
And Betsey said she has four broken ribs on each side, a neck injury and bruised lungs.
Despite their injuries, they said they’re grateful to be alive and for the help of first responders and the campers who ran to their aid.
“Not only where we landed but that the plane died where it did — had it have been 45 seconds earlier, we all would’ve died,” Feild said. “There was nowhere to land 45 seconds earlier. It was God’s hand.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.
