Cessna 172N accident near Richfield, Utah, July 4, 1986
On July 4, 1986 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N8291E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Richfield, Utah (Ridgefield Muni). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- July 4, 1986 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Richfield, Utah · Ridgefield Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N8291E · registry record · serial 17272177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT STATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, '...I NOTICED THE WIND SOCK AND IT WAS DROOPING...I WENT TO FINAL APPROACH (FOR RWY 1) ... NOTICED A LITTLE WIND SO I CRABBED INTO IT, AND I NOTICED MY APPROACH DIDN'T LOOK GOOD SO I WENT TO DO A GO-AROUND. I WENT TO RAISE THE FLAPS AND JUST THEN A WIND SHEAR OR MICRO BURST HIT US AND WE HIT REAL HARD AND BOUNCED...I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT BUT HAD NO CONTROL.' THE AIRCRAFT THEN NOSED OVER ON THE RWY.
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: 86 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,909 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 21, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FGO St. George UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 1, 6,645 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.