Piper PA-28-161 accident near Milford, Utah, April 14, 1988
On April 14, 1988 at about 9:26 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N3850M, was destroyed in an accident near Milford, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was 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
- April 14, 1988 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- Milford, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N3850M · no longer on the register · serial 78 16380
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT (WITH A RECENT INSTRUMENT RATING) RCVD A WX BRIEFING FM CEDAR CITY (CDC) FSS & FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FM PROVO (PVU) TO ST GEORGE (SGU). CURRENT SGU WX WASN'T AVAILABLE, BUT WX FOR CDC (ABT 45 MI NNE) WAS PROVIDED. THE PLT WAS ADZDOF MOIST UNSTABLE AIR, RAIN, OBSCURED MTNS & CUMULUS CLOUDS ALONG THE ROUTE. ALSO, HE WAS ADZD OF A PIREP CONCERNING AN ENCTR WITH CLR ICG NR CDC AT 13,000'. APCHG MILFORD AT 11,000', THE PILOT CALLED CDC FSS & RCVD A WX UPDATE. CURRENT SGU WX WAS STILL NOT AVAILABLE, BUT HE WAS ADZD OF THUNDERSTORMS EN ROUTE. HE RETURNED TO ARTCC FREQ, GOT CLNC TO DESCEND TO 10,000', THEN TO CLIMB TO 12,000'. SOON THEREAFTER, RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT BROKE UP IN FLT (WINGS & STABILIZERS SEPD) & WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 1-1/4 MI AREA. NO PRE-ACCIDENT CRACKS OR FATIGUE WAS FOUND. AN AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN FLYING INTO A WX CELL. GROUND WITNESSES THEN HEARD AN EXPLOSIVE NOISE AND SAW PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT FALLING FM THE WX CELL. SOON THEREAFTER, PEA SIZE HAIL FELL FM THE CLOUD.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 118 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,571 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVU Provo UT at 6:55 pm
- Destination: SGU St George UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.