Cessna 320C accident near Cedar City, Utah, July 12, 1986
On July 12, 1986 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 320C, registered N3030T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cedar City, Utah (Cedar City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 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
- July 12, 1986 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cedar City, Utah · Cedar City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320C · all 320Cs on the register
- Registration
- N3030T · no longer on the register · serial 320C0030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT WHILE ON DOWNWIND DURING HIS APCH TO LAND, HE ADVANCED THE MIXTURES TO FULL RICH AND RETARDED THE THROTTLES. ON FINAL APPROACH WHEN THROTTLES WERE ADVANCED, HE DISCOVERED THE RIGHT ENG WAS NOT RUNNING AND THE LEFT ENG WOULD NOT RESPOND NORMALLY. HE ELECTED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AND PUT THE ACFT DOWN ON LEVEL TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE RIGHT ENG DISCLOSED EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN OPERATED WITH AN EXCESSIVELY RICH MIXTURE. DENSITY ALT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 9,819 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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,560 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 1986; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TISO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMT Hemet CA
- Destination: CDC Cedar City UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 20, 7,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 108°F (42°C), dew point 86°F (30°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from CDC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.