Piper PA-34-200T accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, July 14, 1989
On July 14, 1989 at about 12:57 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N6144H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE PARKING BRAKE AND HIS DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE FENCE & VEHICLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1989 · about 12:57 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N6144H · no longer on the register · serial 7870054
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 65 KTS. HOWEVER, AS HE ROTATED THE PLANE FOR TAKEOFF, IT BEGAN TO SLOW & VEER TO THE LEFT. THE PLT REDUCED POWER TO ABORT & REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, BUT THE BRAKES WERE INEFFECTIVE IN STOPPING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE END OF THE RWY, THEN HIT A FENCE & A PARKED VEHICLE. THE PLT BELIEVED THAT WHEN HE RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE, IT DID NOT FULLY DISENGAGE, THEN HEAT BUILT UP AS THE BRAKES WERE DRAGGING. AN EXAM OF THE BRAKES CONFIRMED THAT HEAT DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,770 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 320 in the last 90 days; 97 in the last 30 days; 2,680 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,785 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 13, 1989; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental L/TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alpine Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SLC
- Destination: SGU St George UT
- Runway 14, 5,295 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from SLC
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.
Other NTSB records under N6144H 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.