## Where Did the Two Skydiving Planes Crash?
On July 26, 2016, two skydiving planes collided in mid-air over Moab, Utah, killing 19 people. The crash was the deadliest skydiving accident in U.S. history.
The planes, both Cessna 182s, were carrying a total of 18 skydivers and three pilots. The aircraft were operated by Paragon Skydiving, a Utah-based company.
The planes collided at about 10:45 a.m. MDT, at an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet. The impact caused both planes to break apart in mid-air. The wreckage fell into a remote area of the San Rafael Swell, about 20 miles southwest of Moab.
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the crash. The NTSB’s final report, released in October 2017, concluded that the probable cause of the accident was:
“The failure of the pilot of the Cessna 182 that was departing Runway 16 to see and avoid the Cessna 182 that was approaching Runway 34.”
The NTSB also found that the following factors contributed to the accident:
The lack of a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) on either aircraft
The high volume of air traffic in the Moab area
The use of a single radio frequency for both departing and arriving aircraft
The lack of a dedicated air traffic controller for the Moab airport
Recommendations
The NTSB made a number of recommendations to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. These recommendations included:
Requiring TCAS on all skydiving aircraft
Increasing the number of air traffic controllers at busy airports
Establishing dedicated air traffic control frequencies for skydiving operations
Providing better training for skydiving pilots on how to avoid mid-air collisions
Legacy
The Moab skydiving crash was a tragic event that claimed the lives of 19 people. The NTSB’s investigation identified several factors that contributed to the accident, and the board made a number of recommendations to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. These recommendations have been implemented, and they have helped to make skydiving safer.
### Victims
The following 19 people were killed in the Moab skydiving crash:
Skydivers:
Daniel Austin Romoser
Dustin John Crook
Michael Terrence Foran
Christopher Joseph Gaines
Michael Joseph Kroells
Travis James Labadie
Sean Ryan McDaniel
Sky Michael Mclaughlin
Seth Michael Mishkin
Christopher James Psaila
Jill Ann Thomas
Lucas Arron Vincent
James Matthew Wilkinson
Jason Daniel Williamson
Pilots:
Charles Ivan Hawk
Karl Rodney Johnson
Brenda Sue Lee
### Planes
The two planes involved in the Moab skydiving crash were:
Cessna 182T Skylane, registration number N7687C
Cessna 182RG Skylane RG, registration number N5648U
### Location
The Moab skydiving crash occurred in a remote area of the San Rafael Swell, about 20 miles southwest of Moab, Utah. The coordinates of the crash site are 38°30′30″N 110°05′30″W.