- Date
- April 15, 2025, 14:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- West Jordan, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N15984Piper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office SLC
- FAA report
- 20250415004489A
- Case key
- 200053
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 failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot inadvertently using a runway that resulted in a tailwind condition and the flight instructors delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor and student were performing a simulated soft-field takeoff from a paved runway. During the takeoff roll, the airplane rotated at about 65 mph, and began to drift left of the runway centerline. The student pilot then lowered the nose, and the airplane settled back onto the runway. The student then attempted to abort the takeoff and reduced the power to idle as the airplane exited the left side of the runway and struck a directional sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Winds at the time of the accident were recorded to be 10 knots at 340°, about 20 minutes prior to the accident were recorded to be variable at 6 knots, and about 40 minutes before the accident, the winds were 11 gusting to 16 knots at 150°.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15984
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (140)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7325218
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 3,300.95
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Nightline Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 2, 2025
- Airport
- SVR · South Valley Regional Airport, runway 16, 5,862 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 113.1 total · 22 in this make and model · 9 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 778 total · 316.1 in this make and model · 661.9 as pilot in command · 100.1 in the last 90 days · 16.6 in the last 30 days · 4.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- KU42, 0.25 nm away
- METAR
- KU42 152035Z AUTO 34009KT 10SM CLR 22/M03 A3008 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 11, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.