Zone
Utah

Crash of a Boeing 95 near Cedar City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1930 at 0238 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 95
Operator:
Registration:
NC420E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Los Angeles – Las Vegas – Salt Lake City
MSN:
1064
YOM:
1929
Location:
Cedar City
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot Maurice Graham was performing a mail flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City with an intermediate stop in Las Vegas. He departed Las Vegas at 2200LT bound for Salt Lake City. While flying at night over the mountains east of Cedar City, Utah, he encountered poor weather conditions with blizzard. At a height of 12,000 feet, the aircraft stalled and crash landed on a mountain slope. The pilot was unhurt and walked away with the mail package. As the aircraft did not arrive in Salt Lake City, SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor the pilot was found. Eventually, Ward Mortenson and Elburn Orton, two youthful sheepherders, found the wreckage of the aircraft on 24 June 1930 some 22 miles south of Cedar City, in the Kanarra Mountains. The dead body of the pilot was found few days later, in July 1930, six miles away from the crash site.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B near Silver Zone Pass: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1924
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
270
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Salt Lake City – Reno
Location:
Silver Zone Pass
Nevada
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 8,200 feet in poor visibility due to foggy conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Silver Zone Pass. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in the Great Salt Lake Desert

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1924
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
313
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Elko - Salt Lake City
Location:
Great Salt Lake Desert
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Elko to Salt Lake City, the radiator exploded, causing the engine to catch fire. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in the Great Salt Lake Desert. The pilot was rescued and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Radiator failure and engine fire in flight.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B on Mt Wasatch

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1923
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
247
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Rock Springs – Salt Lake City
Location:
Mt Wasatch
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Rock Springs to Salt Lake City, weather conditions worsened with the presence of a storm. The pilot decided to fly over and increased his altitude till 18,000 feet when the engine lost power. The airplane entered a dive and crashed on the slope of a mountain located in the Wasatch Mountain Range. The pilot was injured and able to reach the nearest village by his own.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Porcupine Ridge

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1922 at 0800 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
249
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Salt Lake City – Rock Springs
Location:
Porcupine Ridge
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Salt Lake City to Rock Springs, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions, Caught by severe downdrafts, the aircraft crashed in Porcupine Ridge, a mountain located northeast of Salina, at an altitude of about 9,400 feet. The pilot survived the accident and walked for about 24 hours in negative temperature before reaching the first village.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Elko: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1921
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
67
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Elko – Salt Lake City
Location:
Elko
Nevada
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Elko Airport, in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole aboard, was killed.
Probable cause:
Poor judgment of pilot making turn.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Telephone Canyon

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1921
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
179
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Cheyenne – Salt Lake City
Location:
Telephone Canyon
Wyoming
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Cheyenne to Salt Lake City, the oil pressure dropped to 9 or 10. The engine temperature increased to 192° and the revolutions per minute dropped to 1,200. The plane crashed on a mountain side near Telephone Canyon. The pilot was injured.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B near Tie Siding: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1920
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
178
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Salt Lake City – Cheyenne
Location:
Tie Siding
Wyoming
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While cruising in poor visibility due to fog, the aircraft hit a mountain near Tie Siding, Wyoming. The pilot J. P. Woodward was killed.
Subscribe to Salt Lake City