Piper PA-28-180 accident near Teasdale, Utah, October 3, 2003
On October 3, 2003 at about 9:24 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7357W, was destroyed in an accident near Teasdale, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision and his failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident were the student pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions, the low ceiling, the rain, the student pilot's lack of experience with flying in instrument meteorological conditions, and the inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2003 · about 9:24 pm local time
- Place
- Teasdale, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7357W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1237
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot contacted the flight service station (FSS) and requested a weather briefing. He then filed a visual flight rules flight plan with a proposed takeoff time of 1200, and a flight time en route of 3 hours and 15 minutes. FSS reported the student pilot never activated the flight plan. Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) radar picked up the airplane as a primary target over Lake Powell, on the Arizona - Utah border. The airplane was tracked on a straight line, flight path toward Provo. Approaching the Boulder Mountains, the airplane turned west toward high terrain. The radar data showed the airplane make three consecutive 360-degree left turns within a 1/2-mile area before radar contact was lost. Concerned family members began looking for the student pilot and passenger when the airplane did not arrive. The airplane was located by a search and rescue unit the following day. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. Approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident, the weather reporting station at Bryce Canyon, Utah (BCE), 41 miles southwest of the accident site, reported scattered clouds at 3,600 feet; ceiling 4,600 feet overcast; 10 miles visibility; light rain; temperature 46 degrees Fahrenheit (F); dew point 39 degrees F; and altimeter 30.13. A witness described the weather in the area as overcast skies and cool temperatures throughout the day. He reported there were low clouds and what looked like precipitation over the accident site. Pilot records showed the student pilot was approved for solo cross-country flight. The records also showed the student pilot having 44.6 total flying hours. There was no record of instrument training. The student pilot's instructor said he had received instruction for flight with reference to instruments. FAA toxicology revealed the presence of Dextromethorphan, Doxylamine, Phenylpropanolamine, and Pseudophedrine in urine and liver. Dextrophan and Ephedrine were also detected in urine.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,459.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P14 Holbrook AZ at 6:55 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,600 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from BCE, 41 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.