Skywest Airlines Flight 1834
On January 15, 1987, at 12:52 local time, SkyWest Airlines Flight 1834 a Swearingen SA-226TC (METRO II), and a Mooney M20 were involved in a midair collision near Kearns, Utah. The two pilots and six passengers aboard the METRO II and the two pilots aboard the Mooney were killed. NTSB investigators primarily blamed the small plane pilots for wandering into restricted airspace, but a judge later assigned 51% responsibility to FAA air traffic controllers.
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 15, 1987 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision caused by pilot error on the Mooney M-20 aircraft and air traffic controller errors |
| Site | Kearnes, Utah, United States |
| Total fatalities | 10 |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
 A Skywest SA226TC Metro II similar to accident aircraft | |
| Type | Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II |
| Operator | SkyWest Airlines |
| Registration | N163SW[1] |
| Flight origin | Pocatello Airport |
| Destination | Salt Lake City International Airport |
| Occupants | 8 |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
 A MooneyM20C similar to accident aircraft | |
| Type | Mooney M-20 |
| Operator | private |
| Registration | N6485U[2] |
| Occupants | 2 |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Collision
The SkyWest Airlines aircraft, which was 30 minutes late, was on final approach to Runway 34 of Salt Lake City International Airport. The Mooney M-20 took off from South Valley Regional Airport, piloted by a flight instructor and his student.
The air traffic controller watching the area failed to recognize the danger when the Mooney pilots wandered into restricted airspace. The controller did not notice the small plane on the radar and directed the SkyWest pilots to turn. Making that turn, the SkyWest plane collided with the Mooney.[3]
Residents below the collision reported a "big boom," and then, "parts were flying everywhere".[4] The main section of the SkyWest aircraft slid through a chain-link fence, stopping in the middle of a suburban street. Wreckage scattered over a one-mile-square area, with body parts hanging from trees. Authorities had to open a temporary morgue at a nearby church as they recovered the victims.
Investigation
The NTSB investigation ultimately blamed the Mooney M-20 instructor pilot for straying into the Salt Lake City airport radar service area. The investigation also criticised the lack of a Mode-C transponder and the limitations of air traffic control collision protection.[5]
A Federal judge, however, later ruled FAA air traffic controllers were 51% responsible for the crash and the Mooney pilots were 49% at fault.[6]
See also
- Aeroméxico Flight 498 another collision between a private aircraft and a commercial airliner.
- PSA Flight 182
References
- "FAA Registry (N163SW)". Federal Aviation Administration.
- "FAA Registry (N6485U)". Federal Aviation Administration.
- News, Deseret (October 15, 1990). "ATTORNEYS PLAY TAPE OF KEARNS AIR CRASH AT TRIAL". Deseret News. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Witkin, Richard (January 16, 1987). "2 Airplanes Collide Over Utah; 10 Reported Killed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Official NTSB report into SkyWest Airlines Flight 1834
- News, Deseret (December 27, 1990). "SETTLEMENTS DIVERGE IN KEARNS AIR CRASH". Deseret News. Retrieved October 8, 2019.