- Date
- August 4, 1992, 07:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, UT
- Injuries
- 5 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7091CPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920804029039A
- Case key
- 42870
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's poor inflight decision. Factors include downdrafts and a box canyon.
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 pilot of the PA-32R-300 elected to turn into a box canyon during his en route climb to cruise. At the time he turned into the canyon, the pilot felt that the rate of climb would assure clearance of the ridge at the end of the canyon. After entering the canyon the aircraft encountered an area of downdrafts. The descending air reduced the rate of climb to an extent that would not allow the aircraft to outclimb the rising terrain. By this time the pilot felt that, because of the narrowness of the canyon, he could not successfully reverse course. He therefore elected to continue up the canyon, where he eventually flew the aircraft through a controlled impact with the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7091C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7680033
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- University Research Found.
- Registered owner
- University Research Found.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- BTF · Bountiful, UT
- Destination
- SNY · Sidney, NE
- 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 499 total · 32 in this make and model · 360 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.