Cessna 175 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, June 16, 2002
On June 16, 2002 at about 2:12 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7338M, was destroyed in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
total mechanical loss of engine power for reasons undetermined. Contributing factors were the lack of an annual inspection and the (forced landing in) salt water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2002 · about 2:12 am local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7338M · no longer on the register · serial 55638
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight at 5,600 feet msl, the tachometer indicated the engine had lost 100 to 200 rpm (revolutions per minute) and shortly thereafter, the oil temperature "pegged high" but oil pressure remained steady at 25 psi. The engine vibrated and the upper cowling broke off, exposing a breach in the top of the casing aft of #3 cylinder. White smoke filled the cockpit, the engine seized, and the propeller stopped in the vertical position. A forced landing in salt water ensued. The last annual inspection on the airplane had been performed 9 years before the accident.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 8 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD Ogden UT at 2:00 am
- Destination: TVY Tooele UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from SLC, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.