# NTSB WPR26LA211: Piper PA-44-180T, N8390K, St. George, UT, June 7, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: June 7, 2026, 10:12 local (16:12 UTC)
- Place: St. George, UT
- Coordinates: 37.036378, -113.5103 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0364&lon=-113.5103&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203144
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR26LA211
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203144/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA211

## Preliminary report

On June 7, 2026, about 1012 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-44-180T, N8390K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he conducted three, day visual flight rules cross-country flights in the multiengine airplane. Prior to the first flight, he used a fuel dipstick to check the fuel quantity in the left and right fuel tank, which he observed 30 gallons of 100LL fuel in each. The first flight leg was flown from South Valley Regional Airport (SVR), West Jordan, Utah, to Logan-Cache Airport (LGU), Logan, Utah, over a span of 34 minutes. The second flight leg was flown from LGU to Bolinder Field/Tooele Valley (TVY), Tooele, Utah, over a span of 35 minutes. The pilot refueled the airplane at TVY, taking on 20 gallons of 100LL, and he did not use the dipstick to identify the fuel quantity in each tank, but the fuel gauges indicated that the left and right tank contained 30 gallons a side. The third flight leg was flown from TVY to St. George Regional Airport (SGU), St. George, Utah, and the duration of flight was 1 hour and 47 minutes. During the flight from TVY to SGU, the airplane climbed to an altitude of 10,500 ft msl and the pilot subsequently leaned the fuel mixture. Maintaining the altitude of 10,500 ft msl, a headwind was present which the pilot surmised added about 15 minutes to the time enroute to SGU. About 1 hour into the flight, the left and right fuel gauges indicated 20 gallons per side and the pilot subsequently conducted fuel burn calculations noting a fuel consumption rate of 20 gallons per hour. About 20 nm northeast of SGU, the pilot initiated his approach to runway 19, and the left and right fuel gauges indicated 10 gallons per side. While flying the straight in approach, a regional jet transmitted over the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), that it too was on approach and inbound for landing runway 19. To deconflict aircraft sequence and timing, the pilot in the Piper airplane decided to abort the approach, made a left turn to the east and gave way to the regional jet. About 5 minutes later, the regional jet landed and the pilot in the Piper initiated the approach, but while on a 3-mile final the regional jet announced that it was back taxiing on the active runway and the pilot in the Piper again aborted the landing. To avoid overflying the active runway, the pilot offset the airplane’s heading and flew on the right side of runway 19. The airplane turned left to the crosswind leg at the traffic pattern altitude and overflew the departure end of the runway. During the left turn, the left engine lost total power. The pilot declared an emergency over the CTAF, feathered and secured the left engine and continued the left turn to the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern. While abeam the numbers for runway 19, thepilot reported that he was unable to maintain altitude and determined that the airplane was not going to make it to the runway, and decided to land on the parallel taxiway A. The pilot continued the descending left turn to base and final and touched down about 15 ft short of taxiway A. The airplane landed on the dirt surface, the landing gear collapsed, the airplane bounced and descended onto the asphalt taxiway surface where it skidded about 100 ft to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The airplane was transported to a secure facility for further examination.

## Sequence of events

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

- [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Piper PA-44-180T, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7104404), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)
- [Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-44-180T, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7104404), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N8390K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8390K), registered now, S/N 44-8107061, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-44-180T
- Registry model: [Piper PA-44-180T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180t) (registry code 7104404) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming TSIO-360SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tsio-360ser) (registry code 41561, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 44-8107061
- Year built: 1981
- Airframe hours: 5349.3
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, June 3, 2026
- Departed: TVY, Tooele, UT
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: SGU, St George Rgnl, runway 01/19, 9,300 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 190° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter: 29.74 inHg
- Observed at: KSGU, 6 nm away
- METAR: METAR KSGU 071556Z AUTO 19015G23KT 10SM CLR 31/M06 A2974 RMK AO2 WSHFT 1534 SLP028 T03061056

## 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 20260607010309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260607010309A), Jun 7, 2026: Piper PA-44-180T, St. George, UT, Substantial damage. During approach the PIC performed a go around due to an aircraft on the runway. The pilot reports left engine failure when initiating the left crosswind. The…

## Other investigations on N8390K (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 ERA13CA240](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA240), May 11, 2013: Piper PA-44-180T (N8390K), Loxahatchee, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight collision with a bird.

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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