Piper PA-28-180 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, October 18, 2002
On October 18, 2002 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N33170, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to continue the flight without stopping for fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2002 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N33170 · registry record · serial 28-7505129
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot estimated there was 32 to 33 gallons of fuel on board (the fuel level was just below the tabs in the tank, which indicate approximately 17 gallons in each tank) when he took off. Approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes later, the engine began "running rough." The pilot declared an emergency and was cleared to land at the international airport. The engine then lost all power and the propeller began windmilling. At best glide speed, the pilot was unable to glide to the airport and made a forced landing on a cloverleaf of an interstate highway. During the landing the airplane struck a corrugated metal drainage culvert, collapsing the nose and right main landing gear. The salvage company that retrieved the airplane drained slightly more than 1 quart of fuel from both fuel tanks and the fuel strainer. No fuel stains were noted on the wings or underneath of the fuselage.
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
- Flight time: 345 hours in all; 325 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 307 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,705 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2002; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming L-19869-36A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 67L Mesquite NV at 8:35 pm
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from SLC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N33170 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.