Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Evanston, Wyoming, November 5, 1992
On November 5, 1992 at about 5:30 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N4935J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Evanston, Wyoming (Uinta County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DISREGARD OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER ADVISORY, RESULTING IN FLT INTO FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS IN AN ACFT NOT EQUIPPED OR CERTIFIED FOR THE FLT, AND THE IMPROPER INFLT PLANNING BY PILOT DURING THE VFR APPROACH THAT RESULTED IN IMPACT WITH TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO SCRAPING ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD DURING THE VFR APPROACH FOR LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 1992 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Evanston, Wyoming · Uinta County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N4935J · no longer on the register · serial 28R-306657
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING, FILED A FLT PLAN AND TOOK OFF ON AN IFR X COUNTRY FLT INTO AN AREA OF FORECAST MODERATE ICING CONDITIONS IN AN ACFT NOT EQUIPPED OR CERTIFIED FOR THE FLT. WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED ACFT ICING DURING THE FLT, HE REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, AND WAS CLEARED FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH FOR LANDING. AFTER FLYING THE APPROACH, THE PILOT CIRCLED IN VMC WHILE SCRAPING ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD FOR VISBY TO LAND. THE ACFT DESCENDED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE APRT, LOCATED ON A BLUFF, AND WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB TO REACH THE RUNWAY FOR LANDING. THE ACFT IMPACTED ON THE SIDE OF THE BLUFF 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 432 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 374 as pilot in command; 140 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,484 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 9, 1992; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Center 1, INC
The flight
- Departed from: GCC Gillette WY at 1:57 am
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 7,301 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 am from EVW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.