Piper PA-24-180 accident near West Jordan, UT
On December 31, 1998, a Piper PA-24-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near West Jordan, UT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 31, 1998
- Place
- West Jordan, UT
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.621°N, 111.981°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X11546
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 31, 1998, at 1515 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-180, N7283P, was destroyed after colliding with terrain while maneuvering along the Oquirrh Mountain foothills west of West Jordan, Utah. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were both fatally injured. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Wendover Airport, Wendover, Utah, approximately 45 minutes before the accident. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the accident area. According to family members, the pilot and a business client had departed Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport (U42) at approximately 0830 on the morning of the accident. They were planing to fly to Elko, Nevada, to pick up another business associate and bring him back to Salt Lake City for a business meeting. According to FAA records, the pilot of N7283P requested a weather briefing at 0817 on the morning of the accident from the Cedar City Flight Service Station (FSS). He was advised that VFR flight was not recommended, with AIRMETs (airman's meteorological information) for moderate rime icing in clouds and precipitation, moderate turbulence, and mountain obscuration with clouds, precipitation, fog and mist. He was told that a high pressure ridge over the area was moving east, with a new front approaching from the west. The front was expected to arrive sometime in the afternoon, creating forecasted marginal conditions. According to a supervisor at the Wendover Airport, N7283P landed at
Probable cause
The pilot's poor judgement by intentionally flying into instrument meteorological conditions without proper certification. Factors were the resulting spatial disorientation, the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft, the in-flight wing separation, and the existing weather conditions that included snow, obscuration and fog.
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Browse: Utah · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
