Beech A23-24 accident near Vernal, Utah, November 29, 1986
On November 29, 1986, a Beech A23-24, registered N5996S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vernal, Utah. It was a business 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
- November 29, 1986
- Place
- Vernal, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N5996S · no longer on the register · serial MA-69
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD NEAR TWO OIL RIGS. HE SAID HE MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES TO VIEW THE ROAD SURFACE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE WHEELS OF THE ACFT DUG INTO THE SOFT SURFACE. A LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURRED WHICH RESULTED IN THE ACFT TRAVELING OFF THE ROAD, STRIKING A GAS PIPE LINE AND ENDING UP IN A DITCH.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,688 hours in all; 1,625 in this make and model; 400 in the last 90 days; 2,260 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74V Roosevelt UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.