Skywest Airlines Flight 1834
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 15, 1987 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision caused by pilot error on Mooney M-20 aircraft |
| Site | near South Valley Regional Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Total fatalities | 10 (all) |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
| Type | Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II |
| Operator | SkyWest Airlines |
| Registration | ‹The template Airreg is being considered for deletion.› N163SW-disaster |
| Flight origin | Pocatello Airport |
| Destination | Salt Lake City International Airport |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
| Type | Mooney M-20 |
| Operator | private |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
SkyWest Airlines Flight 1834 collided in midair with a Mooney M-20.
Collision
The SkyWest Airlines aircraft, which was 30 minutes late, was on final approach to Runway 34 of Salt Lake City International Airport when the collision occurred. The Mooney M-20 had just taken off from South Valley Regional Airport and had two crew, a pilot and a student pilot. The aircraft collided in midair and fell to the ground. Bodies were scattered over a one-mile-square area. A temporary morgue was set up at a nearby church to identify the victims of the disaster. The main section of the SkyWest Airlines aircraft came to rest in the middle of a suburban street after sliding through a chain-link fence. Many people reported hearing a "big boom" and then "parts were flying everywhere". In a later interview, the air traffic controller on duty claimed that the SkyWest Airlines aircraft was initiating a 90-degree turn when the collision occurred.[1][2]
Investigation
The investigation into this accident 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.[3]
See also
- Aeromexico Flight 498 another collision between a private aircraft and a commercial airliner.
References
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