Piper PA-28-140 accident near Rush Valley, UT
On June 18, 2021, a Piper PA-28-140 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Rush Valley, UT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 18, 2021
- Place
- Rush Valley, UT
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.403°N, 112.582°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210618103287
Official records · WPR21FA231
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 17, 2021, about 2253 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6323R, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Rush Valley, Utah. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The accident flight was the second leg of an almost 1,100-mile cross-country trip from the pilot’s home airport of Havre City-County Airport (HVR), Havre, Montana, to El Centro NAF Airport (NJK), El Centro, California. The airplane departed HVR about 1600, and according to a friend of the pilot, the pilot planned to stop for fuel at Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), in Idaho Falls, Idaho, then fly through the night to Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC), Cedar City, Utah, arriving in El Centro by 0600. The pilot was traveling with her granddaughter, and the trip was planned as a Father’s Day surprise for the pilot’s grandfather, who lived near El Centro. According to the friend, the pilot opted to fly overnight to avoid the heat and turbulence associated with flying over the desert during the day. She planned to sleep for 2 hours in the airport during the stop at CDC. The pilot was not using flight-following services, and the airplane was not equipped with an automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) transponder; therefore, a flight track was compiled using radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The data indicated a target with the visual flight rules (VFR) 1200 transponder code departing IDA at 2100 and flying southbound directly toward the
Probable cause
The pilot’s misidentification of a mountain pass at night, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s overconfidence based on her previous aviation experience and fatigue due to both the time of the flight and her work schedule. Also contributing was the pilot’s decision not to install an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system
More accidents in UT
- Beech A100, Aug 22, 2008
- Swearingen SA-226TC, Jan 15, 1987
- Beech 65-A90, Jan 15, 2001
- Cessna T210L, May 7, 1995
- Gulfstream 690D, May 7, 1986
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.
