Piper PA 46-350P accident near Kanab, Utah, October 11, 2015
On October 11, 2015 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2011 Piper PA 46-350P, registered N945S, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Kanab, Utah (Kanab Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to monitor the airplane's movement on the ground while programming the GPS, which resulted in a collision with a pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kanab, Utah · Kanab Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P, built 2011 · all PA 46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N945S · no longer on the register · serial 4636495
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after he had started the airplane's engine, he noticed an error in the route programmed in the global positioning system (GPS). The pilot reported the airplane had begun to roll forward as he made changes to the GPS programming and he was not aware the airplane was moving. The airplane collided with a steel pole and sustained substantial damage to fuselage and wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Airport occurrence during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during standing (engine(s) operating)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Towing and taxiing › Taxiing › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,376 hours in all; 2,581 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 6,156 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 9, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 637 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 18, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 4,355 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 637 hours total
- Operator: Scepter INC
The flight
- Departed from: KNB Kanab UT at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 1G4 Peach Springs AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KAZC, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 23, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.