Cessna 172F accident near Morgan, Utah, April 10, 1989
On April 10, 1989, a Cessna 172F, registered N7847U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morgan, Utah (Morgan Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE SERVICING OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT, PARTIAL BLOCKAGE OF THE FUEL LINE AND FUEL FILTER, AND FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE DOWNWARD SLOPING RUNWAY AND A FENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1989
- Place
- Morgan, Utah · Morgan Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7847U · registry record · serial 17251847
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG FLT AT 10,500' MSL, THE ENG LOST POWER & WOULD NOT RESTART. THE PLT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON RWY 21 AT A NEARBY ARPT. THE RWY WAS ONLY 3800' LONG & HAD A RPRTD DOWNWARD SLOPE OF 1.5 DEG. THE WIND WAS ESTIMATED TO BE FROM 270 DEG AT 10 KTS. THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG THE LANDING, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AT ABOUT MIDFIELD & HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY. AFTER GOING OFF THE DEPARTURE END, IT HIT A FENCE & WAS DAMAGED. A POST ACDNT EXAM REVEALED THERE WAS SEVEN GAL OF FUEL REMAINING. A CHECK OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE MAIN FUEL LINE & FUEL FILTER WERE RESTRICTING FUEL FLOW. THE PLT RELATED THAT THIS ACFT HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY & HE HAD DRAINED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WATER FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM. AUTOMOTIVE FUEL WAS BEING USED IN THE ACFT.
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: 301 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,385 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1988; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1U7 Paris ID at 10:00 pm
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,804 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.