Beech C-45H accident near Heber City, Utah, October 25, 1984
On October 25, 1984 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Beech C-45H, registered N9561Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heber City, Utah (Heber Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- October 25, 1984 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-45H · all C-45Hs on the register
- Registration
- N9561Z · no longer on the register · serial AF-32
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLT, PLT NOTED GRADUAL LEFT ENG OIL PRESS DROP FROM NORMAL 70 PSI TO 20 PSI. PLT SHUT DOWN LEFT ENG, FEATHERED PROP AND DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE AIRPORT. EN ROUTE TO ALTERNATE PLT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART LEFT ENG TO AVOID SINGLE-ENGINE LANDING. PLT STATED ACFT BATTERY WAS 'GROUND DOWN' BY UNSUCCESSFUL START ATTEMPTS. ON ARRIVAL AT AIRPORT, GEAR WOULD NOT LOWER BY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DUE LOW BATTERY OUTPUT. PLT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER GEAR MANUALLY BUT INSUFFICIENT TIME AND ALTITUDE REMAINED TO COMPLETE OPERATION BEFORE LANDING. PLT ATTEMPTED SINGLE- ENGINE GO-AROUND WITH GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. ACFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. PLT EXECUTED FORCED LANDING IN OPEN FIELD, ELEVATION 5600 FT MSL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 510 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 50 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 8,625 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R985-HB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74U Roosevelt UT at 7:45 pm
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 4,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.