Cessna 182H accident near Provo, Utah, December 2, 1984
On December 2, 1984 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 182H, registered N8580S, was destroyed in an accident near Provo, Utah (Provo Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 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 2, 1984 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · Provo Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182H · all 182Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8580S · no longer on the register · serial 18256680
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LEFT SEAT NON-INSTRUMENT PVT PLT WAS BEING CHECKED OUT IN THE FLYING CLUB ACFT BY A COMM PLT. THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN OVER UTAH LAKE ON A DARK NIGHT, ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31 AT THE PVU ARPT. WHILE ON FINAL, THE FLYING PLT MANUEVERED THE ACFT FOR SPACING FROM A SECOND ACFT. A WITNESS SAW TWO ACFT OVER THE LAKE. ONE AIRCRAFT WAS TURNING TOWARDS THE AIRPORT WHEN IT WENT STRAIGHT DOWN. POST ACCIDENT EXAM REVEALED ACFT CONTACTED THE WATER IN A LEFT WING, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN TO THE NORTHWEST WEST AND SOUTH PROVIDE NO SIGNIFICANT LIGHTING THAT COULD BE USED FOR VISUAL HORIZON REFERENCE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 7,094 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:20 am from PVU, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.