Cessna A185E accident near Park Valley, Utah, June 4, 2006
On June 4, 2006 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185E, registered N185JF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Park Valley, Utah. 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
Incapacitation of the pilot secondary to a myocardial infarction. A ditch was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2006 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Park Valley, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N185JF · registry record · serial 18502073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to his wife, who was seated in the co-pilot's seat, that he was experiencing heartburn and not feeling well and stated that he was going to land on a nearby state highway. The pilot's wife reported that the landing was "smooth" however, shortly after landing the airplane veered off the highway and came to rest in a ditch adjacent to the highway. The passengers reported that the pilot was unresponsive during the landing rollout. Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel reported that the pilot was unresponsive when they arrived at the scene of the accident. The pilot was transported to the hospital; however, he did not recover from his medical condition. A postmortem examination of the pilot revealed that the pilot's cause of death was attributed to occlusive coronary artery disease.
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: 750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 06U Jackpot NV at 4:45 pm
- Destination: BMC Brigham City UT
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from KLGU, 66 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.