Cessna 180K accident near Garden City, Utah, August 9, 2008
On August 9, 2008 at about 3:07 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N63217, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Garden City, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which led to an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2008 · about 3:07 pm local time
- Place
- Garden City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N63217 · no longer on the register · serial 18052837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been on a cross-country trip and was stopping to attend a local festival prior to returning to his home airport. He was performing a low-level flight over his friend's house to signal that he would be landing at a nearby airport. Witnesses reported that the airplane was at 500 feet above ground level, doing banked turns in excess of 45 degrees. The airplane began to climb and then stalled, with the left wing dropping. No preimpact mechanical anomalies were identified during the postaccident examinations. The pilot was based at an airport with an elevation of 472 feet. The calculated density altitude at the accident site was 7,901 feet mean sea level. The high density altitude would have decreased the performance of the airplane and as the pilot was conducting low-altitude maneuvers, leaving little margin for error. Because the pilot primarily operated out of an airport that traditionally has low density altitude conditions, he may not have been fully aware of the performance decrease, especially while manuevering at a low altitude.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 616 hours in all; 438 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 513 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,177 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2008; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WYS W Yellowstone MT at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 1U7 Paris ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from LGU, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.