Cessna 337B accident near St. George, Utah, September 24, 2001
On September 24, 2001 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 337B, registered N337PM, was destroyed in an accident near St. George, Utah (St. George Municipal airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
total loss of engine power on both engines due to fuel starvation and the pilot's inability to access the available fuel supply. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate supervision of the refueling operation, and his intentional operation of the airplane with known deficiencies in equipment (no fuel selector valve handles or placards installed).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2001 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- St. George, Utah · St. George Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337B · all 337Bs on the register
- Registration
- N337PM · no longer on the register · serial 337-0565
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had recently been repainted and was being ferried to another airport for complete refurbishing. The interior, including avionics and most of the instruments, had been removed. Prior to departure, the ATP-rated pilot drained both inboard wing tanks and drained no fuel. He requested that 15 gallons of fuel be added to each side. The fuel was put in the inboard (auxiliary) fuel tanks, which have a fuel capacity of 15 gallons each. No fuel was added to the outboard (main) fuel tanks, which have a fuel capacity of 40 gallons each. Departure and the 20 minute en route flight were without reported incident. Witnesses said the pilot had to abandon his initial landing approach to runway 34 due to conflicting traffic. The pilot then turned downwind for runway 6, but the airplane descended below airport elevation (the airport is situated on top of a mesa). Various witness accounts indicated one or both engines lost power. The airplane struck powerlines and impacted a downtown street. Fuel selector valve handles were not found in the wreckage. Upon opening both wings, the left and right fuel selector valves were found slightly misaligned from being centered on the left and right main tanks, respectively. The fuel tanks were then drained. Each auxiliary (inboard) tank contained 15 gallons of fuel. Approximately 3 ounces of fuel were drained from the left main (outboard) tank. No fuel drained from the right main tank.
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,701 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 14,685 as pilot in command; 7,153 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 18, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,761 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 1999; 145 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C/D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero West Jet Center
The flight
- Departed from: 67L Mesquite NV at 9:55 pm
- Destination: SGU St. George UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,606 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from SGU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.