# Accident 20021127032949A: Piper PA28180, Vernal, UT, November 27, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 27, 2002, 15:38 local time - Place: Vernal, UT - Airport: Vernal - Damage: Substantial damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.3575° N, 109.6206° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3575&lon=-109.6206&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9020J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9020J-2003-12-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA021) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021127032949A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS VFR ON TOP OF A FOG LAYER, RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED IN A FIELD 6 MILES WEST OF VERNAL UT. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 27, 2002, AT 1540 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N9020J, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED ON TO A PLATEAU, 6 MILES WEST OF VERNAL, UTAH. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON TOP PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS REPORTED NO INJURIES. A THIRD PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LARAMIE, WYOMING, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO PROVO, UTAH. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD LEFT FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, EARLIER THAT DAY WITH FULL FUEL. WHILE EN ROUTE TOWARD PROVO, HE SAID THEY ENCOUNTERED WEATHER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT LARAMIE AND WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO CLEAR. THE PILOT SAID THEY WAITED FOR 2 HOURS. AFTER CHECKING THE WEATHER, THE PILOT SAID THEY TOOK OFF FROM LARAMIE AND RESUMED THEIR TRIP TO PROVO. APPROACHING VERNAL, UTAH, THE PILOT SAID HE ENCOUNT ERED WEATHER AGAIN. HE SAID HE DEVIATED SOUTH AND THEN BACK NORTH TRYING TO LOCATE A PATH AROUND THE WEATHER. HE SAID HE BURNED AN HOUR'S WORTH OF FUEL DURING THE DEVIATION. THE PILOT SAID HE LOOKED AT HIS FUEL AND DETERMINED THAT HE WOULD NEED TO LAND AND GET GAS. THE PILOT SAID THERE WAS A LAYER OF FOG OVER THE VALLEY AND OVER VERNAL AIRPORT. HE SAID HE DEVIATED FIRST TO SHANE, UTAH, THEN WENT TO ROOSEVELT, UTAH, AND THEN BACK NORTHEAST TOWARD VERNAL. AT THAT TIME HE NOTED HE HAD 7 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE PILOT SAID HE SPOKE TO ANOTHER PILOT WHO WAS DOING INSTRUMENT APPROACHES AT ROOSEVELT. THAT PILOT TOLD HIM THE WEATHER WAS TOO BAD TO LAND AT ROOSEVELT, AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO VERNAL. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE OTHER PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD GET INTO VERNAL. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS RIGHT ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT 2,000 FEET AGL (ABOVE GROUND LEVEL). HE SAID HE RAN OUT OF GAS ON ONE TANK 15 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE VERNAL AIRPORT, THE PILOT SAID HE RAN OUT OF GAS ON THE OTHER TANK. THE PILOT SAID HE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS 400 FEET ABOVE A HIGHWAY. HE SAID THERE WAS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ALL AROUND HIM. THE PILOT SAID HE SAW A PLATEAU AHEAD. HE SAID HE PULLED THE AIRPLANE UP AND PUT IT DOWN ON THE PLATEAU. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THAT ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WERE BROKEN AFT. THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND BOTTOM FUSELAGE SKIN WERE CRUSHED UPWARD. THE BOTTOM OF THE FIREWALL WAS BENT AFT. THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT FLAP, AND RIGHT AILERON WERE BENT UPWARD. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE TWO WING FUEL TANKS SHOWED NO FUEL IN EITHER TANK. ## 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 DEN03LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA021), Nov 27, 2002: Piper PA-28-180 (N9020J), Vernal, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision. Factors contributing to the accident were fuel exhaustion and the fog. ## Other reports on N9020J (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19980105001909I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980105001909I), Jan 5, 1998: Piper PA28180 (N9020J), Fort Collins, CO, Minor damage. Narrative: (no narrative. Incident code card based on "factors" on form 8020-23.)--improper level off. - [Accident 19961024033959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961024033959A), Oct 24, 1996: Piper PA28180 (N9020J), Sterling, CO. Aircraft propeller struck ground personnel in head during attempted hand prop start. - [Incident 19920509020609I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920509020609I), May 9, 1992: Piper PA28180 (N9020J), Hastings, NE, Minor damage. Student pilot on a crosscountry flight made a hard landing in crosswind conditions. Propeller struck 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.