Commander 114TC accident near West Jordan, Utah, July 18, 1998
On July 18, 1998 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Commander 114TC, registered N61174, was destroyed in an accident near West Jordan, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A brittle fracture of the clamp that joins the exhaust pipe to the turbocharger. The pipe separated and hot exhaust gases escaped into the engine compartment. The engine lost power due to the high heat vaporizing fuel in the fuel line. Factors were inadequate quality control by the clamp manufacturer; the pilot's intentional maneuvering of the airplane to avoid houses and personnel, and the lack of suitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1998 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- West Jordan, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Commander 114TC
- Registration
- N61174 · no longer on the register · serial 20014
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had washed the airplane and said he was going to 'take it around the pattern.' Shortly after takeoff, witnesses heard the engine backfire, heard a muffled explosion, and saw flames and smoke coming from the engine area. The engine was 'sputtering' as the airplane descended and collided with terrain in a residential area. The stainless steel shroud around the turbocharger was scorched and discolored. The main fuel line showed signs of high heat distress, but had not been breached except where it attached to the separated engine.. The exhaust pipe was separated from the turbocharger, and the clamp that held it in place was broken. According to the metallurgist's factual report, there was a brittle transverse fracture of the circumferential tensioning band near one of two resistance spot welds, and had propagated to both edges of the band. There were preexisting cracks at both of the spot welds. The airplane had accrued only 343.1 hours since manufacture.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 424 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 358 as pilot in command; 44 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 343 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 1998; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,305 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AG1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 Salt Lake City UT at 5:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from SLC, 10 miles away
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.