Aero Commander AC200D (Meyers) accident near Hatch, Utah, January 18, 2005
On January 18, 2005 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Aero Commander AC200D (Meyers), registered N49J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hatch, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering. Inadequate airspeed, the pilot's diverted attention, and low altitude flight were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2005 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hatch, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander AC200D (Meyers)
- Registration
- N49J · no longer on the register · serial 352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Data tracking extracted from the GPS found in the wreckage indicated that the aircraft accomplished several maneuvers of "race track" like turns to "360 degree" turns over the pilot's property at varying altitudes to below 500 feet above ground level and low airspeeds. The surviving passenger stated that the pilot and the front seat passenger were engaged in conversation discussing the property that they were maneuvering over, and felt that the pilot was distracted by the conversation, which was his first priority, and second was commanding the aircraft. On site documentation of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft collided with the flat open terrain in a nose down and left wing low attitude with the landing gear extended and the flaps extended to about 30 degrees. Post accident inspection of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.
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: 551 hours in all; 155 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 463 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 3, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,678 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 2004; 222 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-FCA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVU Provo UT at 9:49 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.47 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from BCE, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N49J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.