Beech V35B accident near American Fork, Utah, January 28, 2002
On January 28, 2002 at about 3:47 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N1176T, was destroyed in an accident near American Fork, Utah. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's poor judgment in that he intentionally initiated VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were low ceiling and obscuration, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 2002 · about 3:47 pm local time
- Place
- American Fork, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1176T · registry record · serial D-9921
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot told the lineman he was preparing to depart since he had to get back to work. The lineman thought "nobody in their right mind would try flying at that time [since] there was a winter storm moving through the area." It was as though they were '"in the eye of a hurricane,'" and be couldn't believe the pilot would try taking off in the storm. The pilot said he was going to "scud run" to his intended destination, about 103 miles to the south, but would turn around if he couldn't make it. The lineman said, "I couldn't believe what he was telling me. I told him that every year, we get two or three airplanes trying to scud run, and they run into the mountains." The pilot told him that he was instrument rated, but was not current. The lineman showed the pilot computer radar images depicting large buildups throughout the area. As the pilot prepared to depart, another lineman brushed frost off the wings. The pilot took off before all the frost could be removed and disappeared into clouds a mile south of the airport. The wreckage was located the following day in a canyon. Radar data showed the airplane tracking along an interstate highway before turning left and entering the canyon. As it went further east into the canyon, it made four consecutive climbing left turns before radar contact was lost.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 475 in this make and model; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 West Jordan UT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: DTA Delta UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from PVU, 17 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN02LA023.