DUTCH JOHN, UT, USA
N4514C
Cessna 170B
The pilot reported that the winds were high (20 knots) and very gusty (to 30 knots) during his takeoff roll. He said that after liftoff from runway 29, the airplane 'hit a down draft' and would not gain altitude. The left wing hit some trees, and the airplane settled to the ground. Postimpact fire consumed the airplane. The density altitude was computed to be 8,460 feet.
On June 10, 2000, at 1900 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N4514C, was destroyed by fire following impact with terrain near Dutch John, Utah. The airline transport pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that was originating at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that the winds were high (20 knots) and very gusty (to 30 knots) during his takeoff roll. He said that after liftoff from runway 29, the airplane "hit a down draft" and would not gain altitude. The left wing hit some trees, and the airplane settled to the ground. Postimpact fire consumed the airplane. The pilot reported a density altitude of 7,400 feet; the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge computed the density altitude to be 8,460 feet (temperature 18 degrees Celsius, altimeter setting 29.92 inches of mercury, and field elevation of 6,561 feet).
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the trees. Factors were a high-density altitude and wind gusts.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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