Cessna 140 accident near Nephi, Utah, November 8, 2001
On November 8, 2001, a Cessna 140, registered N76975, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nephi, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the transmission wires while maneuvering. A contributing factor was the low altitude flight performed by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2001
- Place
- Nephi, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76975 · registry record · serial 11421
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, they were on the last leg of a positioning flight. Due to low temperatures aloft, and a "minimal cabin heater", the pilot decided to maintain an altitude of approximately 800 to 1000 feet above ground level. He was following an interstate highway, and descended to a lower altitude in an attempt to read a highway road mileage sign. A few moments after leveling off, the airplane struck transmission wires. The pilot made an emergency landing on the highway, and taxied to the shoulder to be clear of automobile traffic. The airplane sustained damage to the right side engine cowling, both wing struts, and substantial damage to the windscreen.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,424 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 212 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days; 2,314 as pilot in command; 1,222 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 10, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: March 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,117 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 18, 2001; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RIF Richfield UT at 6:30 pm
- Destination: U77 Spanish Fork UT
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.53 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KPVU, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.