# NTSB WPR26LA285: Cessna 172, N9650V, Layton, UT, July 31, 2026 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report - Date: July 30, 2026, 23:56 local (Jul 31, 2026, 05:56 UTC) - Place: Layton, UT - Coordinates: 41.103039, -111.96019 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1030&lon=-111.9602&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Investigation ongoing - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Textron Aviation, Lycoming, Federal Aviation Administration SLC FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 203508 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR26LA285 - NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203508/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA285 ## Preliminary report 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. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9650V](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9650V), registered now, S/N 17264430, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (M) - Registry model: [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (registry code 2072418) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17264430 - Year built: 1974 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Blitz Aviation, LLC - Registered owner: Pittman Michael Sr - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, July 16, 2026, 62 hours before - Departed: OGD, Ogden, UT - Destination: OGD, Ogden, UT - Airport: HIF, Hill Air Force Base - Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 170° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: KOGD, 6 nm away - METAR: METAR KOGD 310553Z AUTO 17007KT 10SM CLR 26/08 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP123 T02560083 10344 20244 51009= ## 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 20260731011769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260731011769A), Jul 31, 2026: Cessna 172M, Odgen, UT, Substantial damage. During descent the instructor pilot and student report loss of engine power. The crew restarted engine which sputtered, did not make power and died. Wind gust… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.