Piper PA-28-140 accident near Provo, Utah, January 12, 1990
On January 12, 1990 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N5693U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Provo, Utah (Provo 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
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO PILOT MISJUDGEMENT OF FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRIP AND A FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE EN ROUTE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1990 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · Provo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5693U · no longer on the register · serial 28-26492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE ON APPROACH TO RWY 13, THE ENGINE RAN OUT OF FUEL AND QUIT. HE SAID HE UNDERESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL REQUIRED FOR THE TRIP, AND THAT THE PLANE USED MORE FUEL THAN THE OPERATORS MANUAL PREDICTED. A POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN BY AN FAA INSPECTOR RESULTED IN A NORMAL RUN.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 776 hours in all; 455 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 703 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,091 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.