WPR26LA285

On July 30, 2026, at 2356 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172M airplane, N9650V, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Layton, Utah. The flight instructor was seriously injured, and the private pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title?14 Code of Federal Regulations Part?91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that he and the private pilot were conducting a long distance night cross country instructional flight. As they were descending to land near the completion of the flight, the engine sputtered and then lost all power. The flight instructor configured the airplane for best-glide performance, declared an emergency with air traffic control, and attempted to restart the engine. The private pilot assisted with checklist items, and both pilots worked together to troubleshoot and restart the engine. Both pilots reported that on about three or four occasions, the engine restarted and ran rough briefly, then lost power. The flight instructor determined the airplane had sufficient altitude and performance to glide to a runway landing at Hill Air Force Base (HIF), which was directly ahead. He reported that a gust of wind from a canyon hit the airplane from the right, resulting in an unexpected altitude loss. The flight instructor then determined the airplane would no longer reach the planned runway and performed a forced landing in a dark area near a roadway south of the airport. The airplane landed hard, nosed over and came to rest inverted in an intersection, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A mobile phone video, recorded by a resident who lives near the accident location, showed the airplane descending low over a residential neighborhood. In the video, the engine produced a popping sound and was running sporadically. A witness who was driving her vehicle on the roadway near the accident intersection reported that she observed something passing above. The witness then heard a loud crashing sound and observed an airplane overturned alongside the intersection. She noted that she did not hear sound coming from the airplane prior to the accident. First responders reported seeing fuel pouring from the airplane wreckage, which continued to leak from the left wing for up to two hours after the crash. The wreckage was transported to a secure facility and retained for further examination.