What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 27, 1997, approximately 1700 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-38, N2362K, impacted the terrain while maneuvering in steep mountainous terrain about 10 miles south of Fruitland, Utah. The private pilot and his passneger, who held a commercial pilot certificate, received minor injuries, and the aircraft which was being operated by us aviation of ogden, Utah, sustained substantial damage, the 14 CFR part 91 personal pleasure flight, which had departed duchesne, Utah about 10 minutes earlier, was en route to ogdon, Utah at the time of the crash. No flight plan had been filed, and the flight was being conducted in visual meteorologacial conditions. Earlier in the day, the pilot had flown from ogden, Utah to duchesne, Utah and was on the return flight when the accdient occurred. According to the pilot, he was trying to fly through a pass that was more than 8500 feet high. He said that the aircraft had been operating normally, but that he encountered wind conditions which created downdrafts. And the aircraft started to sink toward the terrain. The pilot attempted to get the aircraft to climb. But it descended into the terrain, impacting the ground approximately 8300 feet above sea level (MSL). Post accident performance calculations determined that the density altitude at the time of the accident was greater than 10000 feet, and according to the PA38 pilots operating handbook, the aircraft climb rate would be less than 100 feet per minutes under those conditions. The pilot who was a french national who had come to the united states in order to receive flight training returned to france without completeing an NTSB form 6120.1/2.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 27, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1700 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-38, N2362K, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING IN STEEP MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF FRUITLAND, UTAH. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSNEGER, WHO HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS BEING OPERATED BY US AVIATION OF OGDEN, UTAH, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL PLEASURE FLIGHT, WHICH HAD DEPARTED DUCHESNE, UTAH ABOUT 10 MINUTES EARLIER, WAS EN ROUTE TO OGDON, UTAH AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED, AND THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGACIAL CONDITIONS. EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE PILOT HAD FLOWN FROM OGDEN, UTAH TO DUCHESNE, UTAH AND WAS ON THE RETURN FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCDIENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS TRYING TO FLY THROUGH A PASS THAT WAS MORE THAN 8500 FEET HIGH. HE SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY, BUT THAT HE ENCOUNTERED WIND CONDITIONS WHICH CREATED DOWNDRAFTS. AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SINK TOWARD THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GET THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB. BUT IT DESCENDED INTO THE TERRAIN, IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 8300 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL (MSL). POST ACCIDENT PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS DETERMINED THAT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS GREATER THAN 10000 FEET, AND ACCORDING TO THE PA38 PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMB RATE WOULD BE LESS THAN 100 FEET PER MINUTES UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. THE PILOT WHO WAS A FRENCH NATIONAL WHO HAD COME TO THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FLIGHT TRAINING RETURNED TO FRANCE WITHOUT COMPLETEING AN NTSB FORM 6120.1/2.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.