# Accident 19980103000119A: Piper PA38112, Tremonten, UT, January 3, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 3, 1998, 19:13 local time
- Place: Tremonten, UT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: UHFS
- Location: 41.6895° N, 112.2704° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6895&lon=-112.2704&mi=10
- Aircraft: N23371, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N23371-2012-10-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 314 total, 169 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98FA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA086) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980103000119A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

VFR PILOT ATTEMPTING TO MANUVER AROUND IFR CONDITIONS IMPACTED TERRAIN. (.4)THE NONINSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT, A FOREIGN NATIONAL, EMBARKED ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO FULFILL THE EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED FOR COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATION.  FSS ADVISED THE PILOT THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED.  THE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN AND DEPARTED OGDEN, UTAH.  HE ARRIVED IN CALDWELL, IDAHO, REFUELED, AND OBTAINED ANOTHER FSS WEATHER BRIEFING.  AGAIN, HE WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED.  HE FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN AND DEPARTED CALDWELL EN ROUTE BACK TO OGDEN.  RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT TRACK THE AIRWAY TO MALAD CITY, IDAHO, BUT INSTEAD FOLLOWED A HIGHWAY TO THE VICINITY OF TREMONTON, UTAH.  THERE, IT WAS SEEN TO MANEUVER IN A 'PRIMARY WEATHER CELL.'  THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED 3 DAYS LATER WITHIN 0.1 MILE OF THE LAST RADAR CONTACT.     (-23)ON JANUARY 3, 1998, AT 1957 MST, A PIPER PA-38-112, N23371, OPERATED BY US AVIATION, OGDEN, UT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPATCHED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING AROUND WEATHER 8.6 MILES NORTH OF TREMONTON, UTAH.  THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD WERE FATALLY INJURIED.  INSTRUMENT METEORO   LOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE TRAINING FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTEDUNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE LFIGHT DEPARTED CALDWELL, IDAHO, APPROXIAMTELY 1635.  VHP PILOT WAS ON I84 ADJACENT TO AND APPROXIMATELY 2 MI FORM CRASH LOCATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THE ABOVE WX OBSERVATION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98FA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA086), Jan 4, 1998: Piper PA-38-112 (N23371), Tremonton, UT, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, becoming spatially disoriented and his subsequent loss of aircraft control. Factors were the dark night and weather…

## Other reports on N23371 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19970626025249I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970626025249I), Jun 26, 1997: Piper PA38112 (N23371), Ogden, UT, Substantial damage. Aborted takeoff due flat tire indication. Right main gear seperated. Gear attach AD not complied with.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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