American AA-5B accident near Heber City, Utah, March 21, 1983
On March 21, 1983 at about 2:38 pm local time, a American AA-5B, registered N4520V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heber City, Utah. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- March 21, 1983 · about 2:38 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA-5B · all AA-5Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4520V · no longer on the register · serial AA5B1066
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKING OFF AT HEBER CITY, UT, THE PLT TURNED TO A 090 DEG HEADING & BEGAN A CLIMB WITH FULL THROTTLE, MIXTURE FULL RICH, 80 TO 90 KIAS & APRX 500 FPM RATE OF CLIMB. AT APRX 6500 FT MSL, HE ALTERED THE COURSE TO 110 TO 115 DEG TO PROVIDE BETTER TERRAIN CLEARANCE, OVER A SLIGHT VALLEY FORMED BY CREEK DRAINAGE. AT THAT POINT, THE CLEARANCE WAS REPORTEDLY ABOUT 1000 FT. AS THE CLIMB CONTINUED, THE PLT NOTICED THAT THE TERRAIN WAS GRADUALLY GETTING CLOSER. AS HE NEARED THE TOP, HE SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THE ACFT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT OVER. A 180 DEG TURN WAS STARTED. HOWEVER, AS A LEFT BANK WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE TURN, THE ACFT FELT MUSHY & STARTED TO LOSE ALT RAPIDLY. THE PLT ROLLED THE WINGS LEVEL & PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE WHEN GROUND CONTACT WAS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, THE DESCENT CONTINUED & THE ACFT CRASHED ON A TREELESS, SNOW CVRD SLOPE AT 9300 FT. THE PLT SUGGESTED CARBON MONOXIDE MIGHT EXPLAIN HIS INDECISIVENESS, BUT AN EXAM OF THE ENG & EXHAUST SYS REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,469 hours in all; 153 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 5,435 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,525 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 1982; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 36U Heber City UT
- Destination: U69 Duschesne UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.