- Date
- April 14, 1988, 15:26 local (21:26 UTC)
- Place
- Milford, UT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3850MPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880414063289A
- Case key
- 17360
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt (with a recent instrument rating) rcvd a wx briefing fm cedar city (cdc) fss & filed an IFR flt plan fm provo (pvu) to st george (sgu). Current sgu wx wasn't available, but wx for cdc (abt 45 mi nne) was provided. The plt was adzdof moist unstable air, rain, obscured mtns & cumulus clouds along the route. Also, he was adzd of a PIREP concerning an enctr with clr icg nr cdc at 13,000'. Apchg Milford at 11,000', the pilot called cdc fss & rcvd a wx update. Current sgu wx was still not available, but he was adzd of thunderstorms en route. He returned to ARTCC freq, got clnc to descend to 10,000', then to climb to 12,000'. Soon thereafter, radio and radar contact were lost. Subsequently, the acft broke up in flt (wings & stabilizers sepd) & wreckage was scattered over a 1-1/4 mi area. No pre-accident cracks or fatigue was found. An aircraft was seen flying into a wx cell. Ground witnesses then heard an explosive noise and saw parts of the aircraft falling fm the wx cell. Soon thereafter, pea size hail fell fm the cloud.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3850M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 78 16380
- Airframe hours
- 2,571
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sypherd, Shawn D.
- Registered owner
- Sypherd, Shawn D. Et. Al
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PVU · Provo, UT
- Destination
- SGU · St George, UT
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 167 total · 81 in this make and model · 118 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Temperature
- 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.