# NTSB WPR25FA079: Piper PA-24-250, N6502P, Rock Springs, WY, January 14, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report
- Date: January 14, 2025, 06:22 local (13:22 UTC)
- Place: Rock Springs, WY
- Coordinates: 41.111995, -109.29337
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1120&lon=-109.2934&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Piper Aircraft, Textron Lycoming, FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 199550
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25FA079
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199550/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25FA079

## Preliminary report

On January 14, 2025, about 0622 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6502P, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS), Rock Springs, Wyoming, on a cross-country flight, with a destination of Apple Valley Airport (APV), Apple Valley, California, where the pilot was going for work. An alert notice (ALNOT) was issued when the pilot did not reach their intended destination. The wreckage was located the following day by local law enforcement. Review of preliminary ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed from RKS to the southwest and climbed to 10,175 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane maintained this altitude on a southwesterly heading for about 11 minutes. Subsequently, the airplane made a descending 180° left turn to 8,400 ft msl, followed by a right climbing turn to about 9,000 ft msl before descending again to 8,400 ft msl on a southernly heading at the end of the flight track. The accident site was located about 1/4 miles south of the last data point of the flight track. Figure 1-ADS-B Flight track and accident site (illustrated). The accident site was located in a remote mountainous area at an elevation of approximately 8,450 ft msl. Examination of the accident site revealed the first identified point of impact was a group of damaged trees. The debris field extended from the first identified point of impact on a heading of about 246° magnetic for about 240 ft. All major structural components and other fragments of the airplane were spread throughout the debris field. The airplane wreckage will be retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6502P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6502P), registered now, S/N 24-1623, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250
- Registry model: [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (registry code 7102404) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-1623
- Year built: 1959
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Melvin Kelly G
- Departed: RKS, Rock Springs, WY
- Destination: APV, Apple Valley, CA

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night
- Wind: 230° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 12 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observed at: KRKS, 24 nm away
- METAR: KRKS 141254Z AUTO 23019KT 10SM CLR M11/M13 A3029 RMK AO2 PK WND 23027/1219 SLP331 T11061128

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250114000359A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250114000359A), Jan 14, 2025: Piper PA-24-250, Rock Springs, WY, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On January 14th 2025 at approximately 0600 MST the [privacy data omitted] operator of the aircraft took off from southwest Wyoming regional airport (rks), Rock…

## Other investigations on N6502P (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 MIA66F0177](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA66F0177), Jul 26, 1965: Piper PA-24 (N6502P), Clanton, AL, substantial damage

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.

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