Piper PA-28-180 accident near Vernal, Utah, November 27, 2002
On November 27, 2002 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9020J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vernal, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision. Factors contributing to the accident were fuel exhaustion and the fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2002 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Vernal, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9020J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off for his destination airport after waiting 2 hours at an intermediate stop due to weather. Approaching Vernal, Utah, the pilot said he encountered weather again. He deviated south and then back north trying to locate a path around the weather. He said he burned an hour's worth of fuel during the deviation. The pilot said he looked at his fuel and determined that he would need to land and get gas. The pilot said there was a layer of fog over the valley and over Vernal Airport. The pilot deviated first to Shane, Utah, then went to Roosevelt, Utah, and then back northeast toward Vernal. At that time he noted he had 7 gallons of fuel remaining. As the pilot was preparing to land at Vernal, the airplane ran out of gas on one tank. Approximately 4 miles southwest of the Vernal Airport, the pilot said he ran out of gas on the other tank. The pilot said he came out of the clouds 400 feet above a highway. He said there was mountainous terrain all around him. The pilot said he saw a plateau ahead. He said he pulled the airplane up and put it down on the plateau, breaking the landing gear aft and crushing the firewall and bottom fuselage upward and aft. An examination of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in either fuel tank. An examination of the engine and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
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: 98 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,096 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2002; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAR Laramie WY at 6:30 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 900 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from VEL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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 N9020J 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.