Piper PA-28-180 accident near Wolf, Wyoming, September 1, 2025
On September 1, 2025 at about 10:12 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-28-180, registered N8307W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Wolf, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2025 · about 10:12 pm local time
- Place
- Wolf, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1965 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8307W · registry record · serial 28-2476
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 1, 2025 about 1612 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N8307W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wolf, Wyoming. The pilot and one passenger were seriously injured; one passenger was fatally injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed from the Sheridan County Airport (SHR), Sheridan, Wyoming at 1602 and was en route to the Boise Airport (BOI), Boise, Idaho. According to family members, the pilot was transporting his family back to their home in Boise and he planned to fly back to SHR that afternoon. About 1612, a brief emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received from the accident airplane, but the signal stopped just after being received. Shortly thereafter, a passenger aboard the accident airplane called local law enforcement officials to alert them of the accident. A search and rescue helicopter was launched and subsequently located the wreckage about 16 miles west of the Sheridan County Airport in an area of mountainous, tree covered terrain. On September 3, an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) Alaska Regional Office traveled to the accident site. Once on scene, the NTSB investigator documented the airplane wreckage before recovery efforts began. An initial examination of the airplane wreckage revealed that all the airplane’s components were found at the accident site. The engine data monitor and a portable GPS unit were recovered for data download. Given the pilot and passenger’s serious injuries sustained in the accident, an NTSB interview is pending.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,133 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: SHR Sheridan WY at 10:02 pm
- Destination: BOI Boise ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KSHR, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSHR 012253Z AUTO 06009KT 10SM CLR 31/04 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP199 T03110039
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.