Piper PA-20-135 accident near Riverside, Utah, January 1, 2021
On January 1, 2021, a 1951 Piper PA-20-135, registered N1571A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Riverside, Utah (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the throttle control during a landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2021
- Place
- Riverside, Utah · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20-135, built 1951 · all PA-20-135s on the register
- Registration
- N1571A · no longer on the register · serial 20-787
- 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, following a “smooth” landing, he reduced power, but the throttle control broke and the engine advanced to full power. The pilot immediately placed the mixture control in the lean position, but the airplane overran the runway onto a road. The left wing of the airplane subsequently contacted a fence, the airplane rotated left 180° and impacted a fencepost before it came to rest. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 338.7 hours in all; 40.2 in this make and model; 58.8 in the last 90 days; 36.6 in the last 30 days; 286.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 5, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,689.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 20, 2020; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A1A (piston); 1,620 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNG Gooding ID at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 2,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KLGU, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLGU 312353Z AUTO 01006KT 3SM BR OVC030 M03/M05 A3014 RMK AO2 T10281050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 1, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.