Cessna 182F accident near Boulder, Utah, April 28, 2018
On April 28, 2018 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1963 Cessna 182F, registered N3377U, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Boulder, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2018 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182F F, built 1963 · all 182Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3377U · no longer on the register · serial 18254777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a cross-country flight, the pilot was circling in the area of the destination airport when he noticed an excessively high exhaust gas temperature (EGT) indication. He enrichened the fuel/air mixture to full rich and leveled the airplane in an attempt to "cool down" the engine, then noted that the airplane would not maintain altitude and that engine power was decreasing. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted two ditches, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airframe and the engine failed to reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation and the reason for the decreased engine power could not be determined. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was 8,814 ft.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,454 hours in all; 694 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,318 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,497.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2015; 12.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 9:30 pm
- Destination: Boulder UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 25 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from BCE, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.