What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/3/2020 at 0630 MDT aircraft N6929H a C-172 departed from south valley regional airport (KU42). The plane was piloted by a newly certificated CFI who had rented the aircraft for a non-instructional flight from privacy data omitted. Seating configuration was the CFI in the right front seat, one of his students in the front left seat, the student pilots aunt in the back left seat, and uncle in the back right seat. The intent of the flight was for sight seeing purposes with departure to the south KU42 to the northwest shoreline of Utah lake. The a climbing turn direct to midway, Utah. Once there the plane completed approximately a 270 turn proceeded direct on a course toward KU42. While on this leg it would have been necessary for the pilot to climb to gain clearance for high altitude and rising terrain. A witness and his sons hiking in the mountinous area noticed the plane ?was not making it over the mountain?, stating that the plane made a clockwise turn pointing towards them to the north east. The witness then said the wings rocked side to side twice followed by the wings dipping right while in a decent. The witness said the plane was in a ?downward spiral (not a flat spin)?. The witness and his sons watched as the plane descend below the tree line and line of sight. Seconds later they heard what they thought was the plane hitting the ground. The witness and sons hiked down to the crash site and discovered there were no survivors. The witnesses hiked to a location with cell phone reception and called 911. Accident site photos taken by the summit country sheriff?s department revealed the debris field to be within 10? Of where the airplane impacted the ground. Accident scene evidence revels that the plane impacted the ground with a wings level, nose level attitude.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/3/2020 AT 0630 MDT AIRCRAFT N6929H A C-172 DEPARTED FROM SOUTH VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (KU42). THE PLANE WAS PILOTED BY A NEWLY CERTIFICATED CFI WHO HAD RENTED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A NON-INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. SEATING CONFIGURATION WAS THE CFI IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, ONE OF HIS STUDENTS IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT, THE STUDENT PILOTS AUNT IN THE BACK LEFT SEAT, AND UNCLE IN THE BACK RIGHT SEAT. THE INTENT OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR SIGHT SEEING PURPOSES WITH DEPARTURE TO THE SOUTH KU42 TO THE NORTHWEST SHORELINE OF UTAH LAKE. THE A CLIMBING TURN DIRECT TO MIDWAY, UTAH. ONCE THERE THE PLANE COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY A 270 TURN PROCEEDED DIRECT ON A COURSE TOWARD KU42. WHILE ON THIS LEG IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY FOR THE PILOT TO CLIMB TO GAIN CLEARANCE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE AND RISING TERRAIN. A WITNESS AND HIS SONS HIKING IN THE MOUNTINOUS AREA NOTICED THE PLANE ?WAS NOT MAKING IT OVER THE MOUNTAIN?, STATING THAT THE PLANE MADE A CLOCKWISE TURN POINTING TOWARDS THEM TO THE NORTH EAST. THE WITNESS THEN SAID THE WINGS ROCKED SIDE TO SIDE TWICE FOLLOWED BY THE WINGS DIPPING RIGHT WHILE IN A DECENT. THE WITNESS SAID THE PLANE WAS IN A ?DOWNWARD SPIRAL (NOT A FLAT SPIN)?. THE WITNESS AND HIS SONS WATCHED AS THE PLANE DESCEND BELOW THE TREE LINE AND LINE OF SIGHT. SECONDS LATER THEY HEARD WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE PLANE HITTING THE GROUND. THE WITNESS AND SONS HIKED DOWN TO THE CRASH SITE AND DISCOVERED THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS. THE WITNESSES HIKED TO A LOCATION WITH CELL PHONE RECEPTION AND CALLED 911. ACCIDENT SITE PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE SUMMIT COUNTRY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT REVEALED THE DEBRIS FIELD TO BE WITHIN 10? OF WHERE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND. ACCIDENT SCENE EVIDENCE REVELS THAT THE PLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH A WINGS LEVEL, NOSE LEVEL ATTITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.