Cessna 172H accident near Bountiful, Utah, June 5, 2010
On June 5, 2010 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N3948R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Bountiful, Utah (Skypark Airport). 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 pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2010 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Skypark Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N3948R · no longer on the register · serial 17255448
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that she was flying into a canyon at 6,100 feet with the intent to climb through it and over the surrounding terrain. During the ascent the airplane started to lose airspeed and altitude. She attempted to turn around, but she felt that the airplane would stall due to an insufficient amount of airspeed and she abandoned the attempt. The pilot initiated a forced landing into trees at the bottom of a ravine and the airplane received substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The calculated density altitude for the existing atmospheric conditions was 8,238 feet. The published maximum operating altitude for the airplane is 13,100 feet. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine at the time of the accident. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by acquiring enough altitude prior to entering the canyon.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 155 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 21, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,003 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2010; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBTF Bountiful UT at 4:30 pm
- Destination: KBTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from SLC, 8 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.