Piper PA-28-181 accident near Monument Valley, Utah, July 30, 1986
On July 30, 1986 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8272Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monument Valley, Utah (Monument Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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 30, 1986 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monument Valley, Utah · Monument Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8272Y · registry record · serial 288190045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS LANDING ON A 3100 FT DIRT RWY, AT AN ARPT WITH MTNS NEARBY. HE SAID THAT JUST BEFORE LANDING, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL & 'THE BOTTOM FELL OUT.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT LANDED HARD & THE RGT MAIN LNDG GEAR FAILED. THERE WAS NO WX RPRTG FACILITY AT THE ARPT. THE PLT RPRTD THE WIND WAS LIGHT & THE TEMP WAS APRX 75 DEG AT THE TIME OF THE ACDNT. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 5192 FT.
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: 1,687 hours in all; 157 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 1,615 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 13, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sudon CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: PGS Page AZ at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16, 3,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8272Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.