Cessna 172A accident near Ogden, Utah, June 26, 1997
On June 26, 1997 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172A, registered N6844X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ogden, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of the no. 4 exhaust valve and subsequent loss of engine power. Factors contributing to the accident include a congested landing area, and rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 1997 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ogden, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172A · all 172As on the register
- Registration
- N6844X · no longer on the register · serial 47744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes after takeoff, the engine began to run rough and lose power. The first pilot (pilot-in-command) attempted to regain full power and return to the departure airport. The airplane continued to descend and the first pilot attempted to land in a hayfield about four miles from the airport. During the forced landing, which occurred in a tailwind, the pilot noticed power lines ahead. He forced the airplane onto rough terrain beneath the power lines. The airplane nosed over on landing and was substantially damaged. An examination of the engine revealed that the exhaust valve stem on the no. 4 cylinder had separated from the valve head. The fracture surface was obliterated and the mode of failure could not be determined. After the failure of the valve, further damage to other cylinder components subsequently occurred as the engine continued to operate in a degraded condition. The no. 4 cylinder had been reworked about 108 flight hours prior to the accident.
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: 400 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 360 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,566 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 12, 1997; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD UT at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 155° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from OGD, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.