Piper PA-28-140 accident near Richfield, Utah, June 4, 2010
On June 4, 2010 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N3922K, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Richfield, Utah (Richfield Municipal). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to operate the unairworthy airplane with suspected performance deficiencies in a high density altitude and the subsequent partial loss of engine power due to low compression.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2010 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Richfield, Utah · Richfield Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N3922K · registry record · serial 28-23792
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the flight the pilot asked a local airframe and powerplant mechanic to look over the airplane, as it had been sitting a couple of weeks and he suspected that it was not operating properly. The mechanic told the pilot to fly it around the airport traffic pattern and then bring it back so he could do a compression check on the engine; the mechanic was unaware that the airplane was out of its annual inspection. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane, started the engine, and prior to takeoff ran the engine up, noting that the magnetos were within tolerances. The pilot said that after taking off and initially climbing without incident, the engine began to lose rpms but was still running smoothly. The pilot stated that he then pushed the mixture in all the way, and soon thereafter the engine rpms were down to about 1,700 and the airplane was losing altitude. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing in a field. During the emergency landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing after impacting a berm. The airplane subsequently slid between 60 feet to 75 feet before coming to rest in an upright position. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed low compression on the No. 1 and No. 4 opposing cylinders, which most likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power. Because the worst compression readings were on cylinders on opposite sides of the engine, it may have run fairly smoothly but at a reduced power output. Additionally, the pilot’s decision to position the mixture to full rich, coupled with a density altitude of almost 10,000 feet, could have contributed to the partial loss of power. While a review of a Federal Aviation Administration’s Carburetor Icing Probability Chart revealed "Icing - glide power" for the reported temperature and dew point conditions, the investigation could not definitively identify carburetor ice as the reason for the power loss.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Malfunction
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 109 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 2009; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RIF Richfield UT at 4:00 pm
- Destination: RIF Richfield UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 28.51 inHg
- Observation at 10:04 pm from RIF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.