Swearingen SA-226TC and Mooney M-20C mid-air collision near Kearns, Utah, January 15, 1987
On January 15, 1987 at about 7:52 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Swearingen SA-226TC (N163SW) and Mooney M-20C (N6485U), were involved in a mid-air collision near Kearns, Utah. 10 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 1987 · about 7:52 pm local time
- Place
- Kearns, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 10 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Swearingen SA-226TC · all SA-226TCs on the register
- Registration
- N163SW · registry record · serial TC327
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Mooney M-20C · all M-20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6485U · no longer on the register · serial 2232
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Swearingen SA-226TC final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TWO ACFT, A SWEARINGEN SA-226TC AND A MOONEY M-20, COLLIDED IN FLT AT APRX 7000 FT MSL IN THE SALT LAKE CITY ARPT (SLC) RADAR SERVICE AREA OVER KEARNS, UT. THE SA-226 WAS APPROACHING SLC FOR LNDG AND THE M-20 WAS CONDUCTING A LOCAL TRNG FLT WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE SA-226 INITIATED EVASIVE ACTION IN THE FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE THE COLLISION. THERE WAS ALSO AN EXCLAMATORY EXPLETIVE ON THE RADIO AT ABOUT THE TIME THE RADAR TARGETS OF THE TWO ACFT MERGED. THE FINAL CONTROLLER SAW A RADAR TARGET EARLIER THAT WAS POSSIBLY THE M-20 BUT DID NOT SEE IT AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. THE M-20 HAD NO MODE-C TRANSPONDER TO HELP IDENTIFY IT ON RADAR. THE M-20 SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WHERE IT WAS WITHOUT CLEARANCE. THE PLT OF THE SA-226 HAD BEEN ADVISED OF ANOTHER ACFT TO ITS LEFT AND ASKED TO REPORT SIGHTING IT. THE M-20 APPROACHED THE SA-226 FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. AFTER THE COLLISION BOTH OF THE ACFT DESCENDED TO AN UNCONTROLLED CRASH. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION WAS VMC WITH VISIBILITY OF 30 MILES.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Mooney M-20C final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TWO ACFT, A SWEARINGEN SA-226TC AND A MOONEY M-20, COLLIDED IN FLT AT APRX 7000 FT MSL IN THE SALT LAKE CITY ARPT (SLC) RADAR SERVICE AREA OVER KEARNS, UT. THE SA-226 WAS APPROACHING SLC FOR LNDG AND THE M-20 WAS CONDUCTING A LOCAL TRNG FLT WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE SA-226 INITIATED EVASIVE ACTION IN THE FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE THE COLLISION. THERE WAS ALSO AN EXCLAMATORY EXPLETIVE ON THE RADIO AT ABOUT THE TIME THE RADAR TARGETS OF THE TWO ACFT MERGED. THE FINAL CONTROLLER SAW A RADAR TARGET EARLIER THAT WAS POSSIBLY THE M-20 BUT DID NOT SEE IT AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. THE M-20 HAD NO MODE-C TRANSPONDER TO HELP IDENTIFY IT ON RADAR. THE M-20 SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WHERE IT WAS WITHOUT CLEARANCE. THE PLT OF THE SA-226 HAD BEEN ADVISED OF ANOTHER ACFT TO ITS LEFT AND ASKED TO REPORTSIGHTING IT. THE M-20 APPROACHED THE SA-226 FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. AFTER THE COLLISION BOTH OF THE ACFT DESCENDED TO AN UNCONTROLLED CRASH. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION WAS VMC WITH VISIBILITY OF 30 MILES.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Swearingen SA-226TC from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,885 hours in all; 1,863 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 3,043 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,116 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 14, 1987; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky West Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PIH Pocatello ID at 7:10 pm
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34L, 12,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from SLC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
The factual record for the Mooney M-20C from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,548 hours in all; 242 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 W. Jordan UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.