# Accident 20021226034039A: Piper PA28181, Spanishfork, UT, December 26, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 26, 2002, 09:45 local time
- Place: Spanishfork, UT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.1417° N, 111.6611° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1417&lon=-111.6611&mi=10
- Aircraft: N75337, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N75337-2013-08-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA026) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021226034039A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT DEPARTED SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON DECEMBER 24, 2002 AND FLEW TO BLANDING, UTAH, WHICH IS A STRAIGHT LINE DISTANCE OF 225 NM FROM SLC. PILOT REPORTED HE FUELED AT SLC PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND DID NOT REFUEL IN BLANDING. PILOT DEPARTED BLANDING ON DECEMBER 26, 2002 AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA SOUTH OF SPANISH FORK, UTAH, AT APPROXIMATELY 0945 MST. THE FIELD WAS VERY ROUGH AND THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP ON ITS BACK. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY FAA INSPECTORS DISCOVERED NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND APPROXIMATELY 1/4 CUP OF FUEL IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM SCREENS REVEALED THEM TO BE CLEAN AND FREE FROM OBSTRUCTION. THERE WAS NO FUEL EVIDENT ON THE GROUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. (.19) ON DECEMBER 26, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 0945 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-181, N75337, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT NOSED OVER DURING A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR SPANISH FORK, UTAH. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. KEYSTONE AVIATION, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, WAS OPERATING THE AIR                                                 PLANE UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM BLANDING, UTAH, APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD FLOWN TO BLANDING, UTAH, FOR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. HE DID NOT TAKE ON ADDITIONAL FUEL BEFORE DEPARTURE. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE POWER FAILED AND HE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER BENDING BOTH WINGS, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND THE FIREWALL.

## 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 DEN03LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA026), Dec 26, 2002: Piper PA-28-181 (N75337), Spanish Fork, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation and his in-flight decision/planning resulting in fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the rough, frozen terrain at the landing site.

## Other reports on N75337 (2)

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

- [Incident 19921009041639I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19921009041639I), Oct 9, 1992: Piper PA28181 (N75337), Richfield, UT, Minor damage. Student pilot lost directional control of aircraft on landing rollout.
- [Incident 19820416033359I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820416033359I), Apr 16, 1982: Piper PA28151 (N75337), Pierce, AZ, Minor damage. Pilot struck two wires that extended across the approach end of runway. Landed without farther incident.

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.