Piper 602P accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, December 23, 1983
On December 23, 1983 at about 1:27 am local time, a Piper 602P, registered N6894P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming (Rock Springs airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1983 · about 1:27 am local time
- Place
- Rock Springs, Wyoming · Rock Springs
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper 602P
- Registration
- N6894P · no longer on the register · serial 62P090781650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT SWERVED OFF THE SNOW-COVERED RWY DURING LANDING. THE SNOW PLOW EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE RWY CLEAR DUE TO STRONG WINDS. FINGER DRIFTS DEVELOPED SOON AFTER EACH PLOWING. TWO FOOT SNOW BANKS EXISTED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RWY. THE SNOW BANK ON THE LEFT SIDE BORE EVIDENCE OF WHEEL MARKS WHERE THE ACFT CROSSED THROUGH, PARRALLED THE RWY AND RE-ENTERED THE RUNWAY. THE ACFT CAME TO REST ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RWY. THE PLT SAID THAT HE FELT THE THE LEFT GEAR HIT A DRIFT, THE ACFT SWERVED AND THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE NIGHT WAS DARK AND THE WEATHER WAS INDEFINITE CEILING 400 FT SKY OBSCURED, VISIBILITY 1 1/4 MILES IN LIGHT SNOW AND FOG.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,823 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 3,169 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 389 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1983; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540AA1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson WY
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 27, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 125 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 5°F (-15°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 am from RKS
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.