# Accident 19981231034449A: Piper PA24180, West Jordon, UT, December 31, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 31, 1998
- Place: West Jordon, UT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.6208° N, 111.9805° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6208&lon=-111.9805&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7283P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7283P-2000-11-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-180 (registry code 7102403, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99FA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99FA029) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981231034449A

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS DISORIENTED IN IMC, TALKING TO SALT LAKE FLIGHT WATCH. (.19)ON DECEMBER 31, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1530 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-24-180, N7283P, WAS DESTROYED AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR WEST JORDAN, UTAH.  THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.  THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WENDOVER AIRPORT, WENDOVER, UTAH, APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.  ACCORDING TO THE FAA, THE PILOT TOLD SALT LAKE CITY APPROACH CONTROL THAT HE WAS IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND THAT HE FELT DISORIENTED.  SHORTLY THEREAFTER, RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WERE LOST.  A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 0845 THE FOLLOWING MORNING.                (-23)VFR PILOT ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.  CDC FLIGHT SERVICE AND SLC APPROACH TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO ASSIST PILOT.  PILOT PROBABLY APPLIED EXCESSIVE "G" FORCE TO THE AIRCRAFT.  THE OUTBOARD 6' OF THE RIGHT WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT.  AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE G ROUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AIRCRAFT DESTROYED - 2 FATALITIES.

## 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 DEN99FA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99FA029), Dec 31, 1998: Piper PA-24-180 (N7283P), West Jordan, UT, destroyed, 2 fatal. 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…

## Other reports on N7283P (1)

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

- [Incident 19930801027459I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930801027459I), Aug 1, 1993: Piper PA24180 (N7283P), Salt Lake City, UT, Minor damage. Right main landing gear collapsed on landing rollout. Departed right side of runway.

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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