Piper PA-30 accident near Bryce Canyon, Utah, September 5, 1993
On September 5, 1993 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7148Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bryce Canyon, Utah (Bryce Canyon 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. FACTORS RELATED TO THE FORCED LANDING WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND ROUGH TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1993 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bryce Canyon, Utah · Bryce Canyon
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7148Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT INITIATED A LEFT 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, HE REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT GOING TO REACH THE RUNWAY, SO HE OPTED TO LAND ON ROUGH TERRAIN. AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS RETRIEVED, THE ENGINE WAS PREPARED FOR A TEST RUN. IT STARTED AND WAS RUN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AT VARYING POWER SETTINGS WITH NO EVIDENCE FOUND TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 8950 FEET.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,499 hours in all; 198 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,313 as pilot in command; 186 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,461 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 11, 1992; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCE at 6:00 am
- Destination: U07 Bullfrog UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 7,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from CDC, 45 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.