Amateur-built BEARHAWK accident near Heber City, Utah, June 24, 2012
On June 24, 2012 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built BEARHAWK, registered N117Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Heber City, Utah (Heber City Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2012 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber City Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BEARHAWK
- Registration
- N117Z · no longer on the register · serial 087-1039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after touchdown and during the landing roll, the airplane ground looped to the left. A postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 15,816 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 96 in the last 90 days; 8,166 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 27, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 212 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 2, 2012; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A4D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 36U Heber UT at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 36U Heber UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 6,899 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 5:49 pm from PVU, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.