Cessna 182P accident near Hanksville, Utah, March 7, 2004
On March 7, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N29821, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hanksville, Utah. 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 selection of unsuitable terrain to conduct a precautionary landing. Factors contributing to the accident was the soft, dirt road.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hanksville, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N29821 · registry record · serial 18261233
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he and his wife were sightseeing. He said they had been airborne approximately 2 hours when the airplane's engine began running rough. The pilot would later describe this as a "vibration." The pilot said he checked his magnetos, the fuel tanks, the mixture, and propeller, and adjusted the throttle. None of these actions seemed to work. The pilot said he decided to put the airplane down on a dirt road. He said that as he was about to land, he noted that the road was narrower than he thought. The pilot said the road was soft. The airplane slowed down, but then the nose wheel dug into the soft dirt and the airplane flipped over. The airplane's wings, cowling, vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained substantial damage. An examination of the airplane's 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 358 hours in all; 192 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 288 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 12, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 2003; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGA Page AZ at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PGA Page AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from PGA, 64 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.