Cessna T207A accident near Monument Valley, Utah, March 24, 1998
On March 24, 1998 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna T207A, registered N73780, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monument Valley, Utah. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The engine's total power loss due to the induction air ducting separating because of inadequate maintenance by company personnel. Factors were the failure of the manufacturer to provide non-standard operating procedures in their airplane's information manual, and the failure of the FAA to require non-standard operating procedures in the manufacturer's airplane information manual; and the soft, sandy, unsuitable terrain on which to perform a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1998 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monument Valley, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T207A · all T207As on the register
- Registration
- N73780 · no longer on the register · serial 20700628
- 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
The takeoff for the sightseeing flight seemed normal until approximately 500 feet agl. The pilot observed the airspeed decreasing and the manifold pressure drop from 36.5 inches to 23 inches. He turned the auxiliary fuel pump on and was unable to restart the engine. He performed a forced landing in rough, sandy terrain. Postcrash examination of the airplane revealed that the upper induction tube, which conducted compressed turbocharger intake air to the throttle body, was found separated at a rubber connecting sleeve approximately 10 inches prior to the throttle body. Scenic Airlines maintenance personnel had installed a remanufactured zero time engine on July 30, 1996. The T207A Information Manual did not provide abnormal operating procedures for continued engine operation following turbocharger failure. There is no current FAA requirement to include information regarding the proper operation of an airplane by the aircraft manufacturer in the event of a loss of compressed induction air while flying a turbocharged airplane.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,343 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,279 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,511 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 16, 1998; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 71V Monument Valley UT at 9:55 pm
- Destination: PGA Page AZ
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:57 pm from 4BL, 51 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 2 |
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.