Cessna 320 accident near Eagle Mountain, Utah, June 28, 2018
On June 28, 2018 at about 4:54 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 320, registered N320MF, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Eagle Mountain, Utah. It was an aerial observation 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
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and the airplane experiencing an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2018 · about 4:54 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle Mountain, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320 D, built 1965 · all 320s on the register
- Registration
- N320MF · no longer on the register · serial 320D0061
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an aerial photography flight at a planned altitude of 7,255 ft over a level area just west of rising mountainous terrain. The planned flight was to accomplish 3 photo runs over the area. At the conclusion of the 3 runs, the pilot was to return to the airport located to the east for fuel. Onboard data indicated that at the conclusion of the second run traveling from west to east, the airplane made a shallow right turn to the southeast and continued toward mountainous terrain and in the general direction of the airport. After traveling over mountainous terrain, the airplane initiated a left turn at an altitude about 800 ft above the terrain. This turn was possibly performed to maneuver the airplane back to the northwest to the photo area and accomplish the final photo run. During the turn, the airplane's bank angle increased as the airplane climbed slightly and accelerated; the last recorded data showed the airplane at 177 knots groundspeed in an approximate 70° left bank. On site wreckage documentation revealed that the airplane collided with the terrain in a near vertical nose-down attitude suggesting that the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack and aerodynamically stalled at an altitude too low for the pilot to recover from. Examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe and engines that would have precluded normal operation, and damage signatures indicated that the engines were producing power at the time of the accident. The pilot had several airspace violations in the year before the accident. A psychological evaluation conducted over 15 years before the accident, when the pilot first sought Federal Aviation Administration medical certification, indicated that the pilot had an "impulsive personality" and that he "sought excitement;" however, outside of these instances, there was no other information available that provided insight into the pilot's behavior or decision-making. It could not be determined whether the pilot's mental health contributed to this 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: November 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 5,201 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSI0-470-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSI0-470-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gv Air Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: EUL Caldwell ID at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KPVU
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR18FA186.