Piper PA-24-180 accident near West Jordan, Utah, December 31, 1998
On December 31, 1998 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N7283P, was destroyed in an accident near West Jordan, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's poor judgement by intentionally flying into instrument meteorological conditions without proper certification. Factors were the resulting spatial disorientation, the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft, the in-flight wing separation, and the existing weather conditions that included snow, obscuration and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1998 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- West Jordan, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7283P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2426
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a business client had departed Salt Lake City on the morning of the accident, and were planning to fly to Elko, Nevada, to pick up another business associate and bring him back for a business meeting. However, according to a supervisor at the Wendover Airport, the aircraft diverted there instead. FAA records indicate that the pilot was advised during each of his weather briefings that VFR flight was not recommended, with AIRMETs for icing and mountain obscuration. At the time of their departure from Wendover, the mountains to the east and west were obscured. During the return flight to Salt Lake City, the pilot contacted Flight Watch requesting assistance. He advised the briefer that he was in instrument conditions, stating that he felt disoriented and thought he was flying upside down. At 1515, radio and radar contact with the pilot were subsequently lost. The search for the missing aircraft was hampered due to deteriorating weather conditions in the area. The wreckage was located early the following morning. The outboard section of the right wing separated in flight and was found 400 yards from the main wreckage.
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: 338 hours in all; 338 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 284 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,907 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1998; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENV Wendover UT at 9:30 pm
- Destination: U42 Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,800 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from SLC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.