Piper Aircraft Inc PA-34-220T accident near New Harmony, UT
On January 4, 2023, a Piper Aircraft Inc PA-34-220T (airplane) was involved in an accident near New Harmony, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 4, 2023
- Place
- New Harmony, UT
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft Inc PA-34-220T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.520°N, 113.281°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230105106537
Official records · WPR23FA083
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 4, 2023, about 1456 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-34-220T, N814WT, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near New Harmony, Utah. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot had flown from his home base of Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) the morning of the accident to check on a residence in the St. George area, and the accident flight was to be his return trip. A concerned family member reported the airplane overdue, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT). A search for the airplane was initiated and the wreckage was found the following day in mountainous terrain, about 3 miles north of New Harmony, Utah. ADS-B data provided by the FAA indicated that the airplane departed from runway 19 at St. George Regional Airport (SGU) about 1439. The airplane continued on a northeast heading for six minutes, reaching a GPS reported altitude of about 10,000 ft. The airplane then began to descend and after reaching 9,000 ft one minute later, it made a 90° left turn while continuing to descend to 8,625 ft. For the next four minutes, the airplane continued on a northerly track toward rising terrain while crossing over and to the west of Interstate 15. After descending to 7,375 ft, the airplane turned 90° to the left toward an 8,300-ft-tall mountain peak. The airplane then began a climbing left turn, reaching 8,425 ft one minute later. The next ADS-B target, recorded 14 seconds later, indicated that the airplane had descend
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation.
More accidents in UT
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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.
