Transcription
It's the 2nd of January, 2006, and the day is dawning crisp and beautiful over the mountains of Billings, Montana. Conditions are clear and the visibility unlimited. It's the type of morning that gives Big Sky Country its name.
On this first Monday of the new year, a 50-year-old pilot is preparing to fly his Beechcraft Debonair, November 1254 Zulu, from Billings to a job site in Spanish Fork, Utah. It is a routine flight for the 1,000-hour airman who holds a commercial pilot certificate but is not instrument rated.
"It's FL service. Good morning, sir. My name's Mark. My aircraft is November 1254 Zulu, planning a VFR trip this morning from Billings to Uniform 77 near Provo, Utah. That's Spanish Fork."
You remember the pilot describes his intended route to the weather briefer. After departing Billings, he will fly south to the Boison Reservoir VOR, then turn southwest on a course to the Fort Bridger VOR. At that point, he will avoid high terrain by following the highway down to Heber City, Utah, then fly through narrow Provo Canyon and land at Spanish Fork, just south of Salt Lake City. The 3 1/2 hour trip will cover more than 400 nautical miles and take the pilot through some of the most forbidding terrain in the west.
The weather briefer describes the outlook for the intended route, and the news isn't good. "Okay, drawing a line on the chart first thing. Uh, for Western Wyoming and the rest of the route, air, occasional mountain obscuration, clouds, precipitation, uh, mist and fog. If are not recommended into that area. And from, uh, oh, Southwestern Wyoming, the rest of the route, occasional moderate turbulence below, uh, flight level 180. Uh, areas of precipitation for from say Fort Bridger area, the rest of the route, mainly mixed or rain type precipitation, like to moderate in intensity. The, uh, terminal forecast for Provo, 1500 to 0300 Zulu, not real good. Wind 170 at 20, gust 30. Visibility more than six. Shows vinity. Ceiling 5,000 broken, 8,000 overcast. After dark, deteriorating further. So the sooner the better."
"Well, yeah, but it's not good now. I wouldn't recommend VFR far across the road. Uh, can get, uh, can get a long ways down there and then take another look."
Given the high terrain between reporting stations, the forecast is ominous, but the VFR-only pilot is determined to attempt the flight. Approximately an hour and 20 minutes after receiving the weather briefing, he radios Billings Ground Control and requests Runway 28 Left for departure. He also asks for VFR flight following along his southbound route at an intended altitude of 9,500 feet.
Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, departure control hands him off to Salt Lake Center. "Good morning, Salt Lake with 91254."
"Lake Center, Roger. Billings is 2N64 for the next 2 hours."
The flight proceeds without incident. Radar contact is lost on several occasions due to the aircraft's relatively low altitude. At 11:19 a.m., Salt Lake Center advises the pilot of deteriorating weather conditions to the south.
"1254, Roger. Advise there is quite a bit of weather in the, uh, Salt Lake Valley and to the south. Uh, pretty good storm system moving over right now."
"Copy that. Uh, right here where I'm at, I could probably see 40 miles."
Despite his confidence in the excellent conditions locally, the pilot follows up on ATC's warning with a call to Flight Watch on 122.0.
"Flight Watch, Black November 1254 Zulu near Rock Springs."
"November 1254 Zulu, Sol F. Good morning, Flight Watch. My Z is about 56 miles northeast of Fort Bridger. VFR condition. Uh, put a layer above me at a couple thousand feet above me at least. Um, in road to Provo area at Spanish Fork. Could you give me some conditions along that s St at Fort Bridger and Evanston?"
"November 54 Zulu, current weather conditions along the route of flight. We do not get a Fort Bridger. Evanston is reporting on an automated report. Winds 220 at 7. Visibility at 10. 5,000 scattered. Ceilings of 8,000 broken. At Provo, they're reporting winds 090 at 6. Visibility of 10 with a few clouds at 1,900, 2,200 scattered. Ceilings of 4,000 broken. A temperature of plus 4. Dew point of a minus 1. We do have an airmet out for that entire route of flight for mountains to be occasionally obscuring clouds and precipitation. So we would have to advise you that VFR flight over mountainous terrain would not be recommended. The Evanston altimeter is 29 or 83."
"Copy all of that and, uh, understand the, uh, uh, mountain obscuration air and, uh, thank very much for your help. I'll just pick my way along here. And 54 Zulu."
"November 54 Zulu, Roger. We got a report from this the that one the weather I gave the approval was a 185 Zulu observation. Was the auto observation. Power called at 1750 Zulu saying winds 1120 at 9. Visibility of 10 in light rain with ceilings of 3,600 overcast. So it does look like you're going to have some problems trying to get into Provo VFR. That's overcast is in fact at 3,600 feet over."
"Copy all of that and, uh, I'll just slide in there and take the peak. It won't work, I'll slide back out. 7 air."
"November 54 Zulu, Roger. We do have am also for some moderate turbulence on that route of flight as well as moderate icing. Um, would appreciate pilot reports as you go along and have a good flight."
The pilot continues for another 15 minutes when ATC again advises him of poor weather ahead.
"November 1254 Zulu. Uh, you can expect to encounter cloud conditions all the way to the ground approaching the Wasatch Front."
"November 1254 Zulu, Salt Lake 5 Zulu."
"Go ahead. I was on the wrong radio, sir. I copied that a moment ago."
"54 Zulu, Roger. I just wanted to make sure that you did, uh, were aware of the weather deteriorating along your route of flight."
"I'll do copy that, sir. And straight ahead right now, I can probably see 75 miles. So I'll take my way along. 5 zul."
"54 Zulu, Roger. Evanston altimeter 29er 83."
13 more minutes pass. During a handoff from one ATC sector to another, radar indicates the pilot has descended to 8,000 feet, 1,500 feet below his intended altitude. The highest terrain in the area rises to more than 9,000 feet. His radio transmissions become garbled and broken.
"5y 8000 800 5 Roger over through the that won't work come back around land 54 Zulu."
"I heard the part about the interstate which pass you heading for. Go to overate and Zulu."
15 minutes later, ATC loses radar contact with the airplane. The last radar return shows the aircraft descending from 7,300 to 7,100 feet. The pilot is flying southwest along Interstate 80 near Wasatch, Utah, a few miles beyond Evanston Airport. Wasatch elevation is 6,742 feet. The airplane is only about 300 feet above the ground.
Another 9 minutes pass. ATC cannot reach the pilot via radio, but a controller manages to communicate with him briefly by relaying through another aircraft in the area.
"344, did you attempt to relay to an aircraft? Go ahead, Delta 344."
"The call sign is November 54 Zulu. Can you see if you can raise you?"
"Will V 5 Z U. Del 3. Okay, hang on. Just yes, sir, we've got him. Okay, Delta 344, could you ask him which canyon, uh, he's going to try to fly through?"
"Okay. Uh, Z, they want to know which canyon you're going to try to fly through."
"Okay. He says, look at Heber City and Provo Canyon."
"Okay, Delta 344. I don't know if he can hear me or not. Tell him I'm going to check with approach to see if either one of those are passable and I'll get right back."
"All right. And going to check to see either one of those pass. We'll get right back to you."
While the controller checks on the canyon conditions, the pilot continues southwest along Interstate 80. A witness in Kaysville, Utah, a private pilot himself, would later report having seen the aircraft flying low and slow over the highway at approximately 12:15 p.m. According to the witness, the pilot was flying at about 300 feet above the ground. The ceiling was about 500 feet, and there was light snow and sleet falling.
"Delta 344, Delta 344, can you advise November of 54 Zulu the weather department is, uh, reporting level three or correction level two and the level three precept in both of those canyons that they don't advise them to try it."
"November 5, Center advisor, the weather department is reporting level two and level three precept in those canyons and they do not advise that you try."
"November 5, copy from 344. Has respond."
"Delta 344, thank you. I'll see if I can get a lower out through the aircraft. Try to talk to him. Thanks for your help."
ATC tries several more times to reach the pilot, both directly and via other aircraft. All of these attempts fail. The airplane is still airborne, however, flying lower and lower as the ceiling drops and conditions worsen. When the pilot reaches the intersection of US Highway 40, he turns south and follows it toward Heber City.
At 12:26 p.m., a witness spots the airplane flying low overhead, 2 miles south of the intersection. According to the witness, it is snowing heavily and visibility is severely limited.
2 minutes later, as two air traffic controllers are discussing the missing airplane, a single radar return is recorded from the aircraft.
"He's gone. This little guy. Lost him on radar right about right there. And I was trying to pass some weather information to him. I just almost down his code in case somebody can see him, you know. So you did see him once?"
"Yeah. I lost him when he got to about right here. He was going to try to come through this canyon and I was trying to tell him that the weather's too bad, don't even try it. And they're saying if you, if he wants to try to go to the Provo Canyon, it's better. It's not, it's not clear, but it's better. And they're icing and he's not talking to anybody now. He told the, uh, soup."
"Oh, yeah. There know. Oh, look, there he is right there. Well, he's still alive. Um, anyway, I can't. This Lifeguard tried to talk to him and he couldn't talk to him either. So."
"Well, there he was briefly. So he's still airborne."
"Okay."
The brief radar return shows the airplane at 7,000 feet, located about 5 miles down Highway 40. The elevation in that area is approximately 6,900 feet, a mere 100 feet below the aircraft. Ridge lines along the highway quickly rise to more than 7,400 feet.
Shortly thereafter, the local police dispatch receives an emergency call regarding a low-flying airplane near Mile Marker 8. Units respond to the scene, but no aircraft is located. According to police, weather conditions are extreme, near whiteout conditions in heavy blowing snow.
"November 24 Zulu, Salt Lake radio check."
"November 2, radio check. November 1254 Zulu, Salt Lake radio check."