Cessna 152 accident near Provo, Utah, November 21, 1995
On November 21, 1995 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6392Q, was destroyed in an accident near Provo, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
pilot suicide (intentional in-flight collision with rising terrain). A factor relating to the accident was: pilot anxiety/apprehension.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 1995 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6392Q · no longer on the register · serial 15285241
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At about 1430 mst, a jury found that the pilot was guilty of a 'pyramid scheme.' About 1/2 hour later, he arrived at the airport and rented a Cessna 152, then departed on a flight. A lineman, who saw the pilot immediately before his departure, described him as 'in a hurry' and 'curt in his manner.' At about 1515 mst, the airplane was seen by ground witnesses to fly into the base of an upsloping mountain range, next to power lines about five miles east of the airport. Individuals close to the pilot indicated that he was apprehensive about the possibility of going to jail, and that 'since this was a second offense for the particular crime, he felt that if convicted, he would spend some years in jail.' The Utah State Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death as 'suicide.' Toxicology tests of the pilot's blood showed a low level (0.006 mcg/ml) of Tetrahydrocannabinal Carboxylic Acid (THCCOOH, inactive metabolite of marijuana) in his blood and 0.015 mcg/ml of THCCOOH in his urine.
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: 55 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,834 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 17, 1995; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Valley Hi Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PVU UT at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from PVU, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6392Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.