Cessna 172F accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, June 12, 2002
On June 12, 2002 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N7873U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City 2 Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decisions, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2002 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City 2 Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7873U · no longer on the register · serial 17251873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's engine lost power approximately 2 miles southwest of the intended destination. The pilot said they turned west to avoid houses and power lines. "The sun was in our eyes and we could only look down." The pilot reported spotting a vacant road on which they planned to land. The pilot said she had to turn east to see what was on the road before they landed. The pilot said that turning resulted in a loss of airspeed, such that they landed in a field 50 feet from the road. "When we got close enough to land is when we noticed it was a plowed field." The pilot said the airplane touched down on the main gear, but when the nose gear touched, it "plowed into the field," and the airplane nosed over. An examination of the airplane revealed no fuel present. No other anomalies were found.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 903 hours in all; 798 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,843 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 2001; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UT47 Hurricane UT
- Destination: U42 Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 am from SLC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.