Cessna 172P accident near Spanish Fork, Utah, August 13, 2004
On August 13, 2004 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N6249K, was destroyed in an accident near Spanish Fork, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper inflight planning and decision making, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were his intentional low altitude flight and maneuvering, the aircraft's climb performance being exceeded, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2004 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N6249K · no longer on the register · serial 17274177
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to look for elk. One passenger said the airplane flew into a canyon and climbed towards a ridge. The pilot moved the throttle in and out, and the engine sputtered. Another passenger said they were flying "even with some mountain tops" at about 7,800 feet when they entered a canyon in a south-to-north direction. They were at an altitude between 200 and 500 feet agl, and the pilot said they needed to get some altitude. The passenger said he realized they needed to "get out of there," and he said something to that effect to the pilot. He said the pilot was manipulating the throttle and the engine sounded like it was "bogging down." Then the pilot was holding the control yoke with both hands and looking out both sides of the airplane as if he might be considering a course change. It appeared as if the pilot was trying to climb over an approaching peak. They could not climb faster than the rising terrain. A third passenger said the ground appeared to be rising faster than the airplane was climbing. The airplane pitched up, struck some small trees in a nose-high attitude, spun around, and then hit the ground. The on-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the airplane. The engine was later tested and operated satisfactorily with a maximum of 2,350 rpm being attained.
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: 125 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 99 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 31, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mapleton Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: U77 Spanich Fork UT at 11:30 am
- Destination: U77
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from PVU, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.