Amateur-built TACHIKI 750 CRUZER accident near Spanish Fork, Utah, January 14, 2022
On January 14, 2022 at about 7:48 pm local time, a 2019 amateur-built TACHIKI 750 CRUZER, registered N145WT, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Spanish Fork, Utah (Spanish Fork Muni/Woodhouse Fl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to an obstructed catalytic converter, which most likely resulted from the pilot’s failure to properly repair or replace it after it was likely damaged during a previous incident. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing, which led to an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack and an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2022 · about 7:48 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · Spanish Fork Muni/Woodhouse Fl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TACHIKI 750 CRUZER, built 2019
- Registration
- N145WT · registry record · serial WTI
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on the local accident flight after having repaired his airplane following a landing incident that occurred 18 months earlier. Shortly after departure, he observed a partial loss of engine power and was unable to maintain altitude. He immediately returned to the airport, but, while maneuvering toward the runway, he made a tight left turn, which likely resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an accelerated stall. The airplane entered a nose-down dive and impacted a rooftop. Postaccident examination of the airframe did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies that could have precluded the pilot from controlling the airplane. Examination of the engine revealed that most of the internal components were likely operational at the time of impact. However, the catalytic converter contained several broken pieces of ceramic substrate that had separated during the previous accident. As there were no other preimpact mechanical anomalies with the engine, it is likely that broken substrate blocked the engine exhaust gas path following combustion, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during the accident flight. The pilot straightened the bent exhaust tailpipe after the landing incident and re-welded the catalytic converter. However, he did not inspect, repair, or replace the catalytic converter before the accident flight even after debris was emitted from the tailpipe on subsequent engine starts.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern base)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion other cases naming the engine
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 66 hours in all; 3.7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 13, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honda VTEC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPK Spanish Fork UT at 7:00 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KPVU, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPVU 141956Z VRB06KT 6SM HZ FEW060 03/M03 A3045 RMK AO2 SLP328 T00331028
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of accident airplane at accident site from the tail
Photo 2 – Accident airplane from noseThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on June 8, 2023. 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 | Record of Conversation, Engine Manufacturer | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversations, Witnesses | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Email Correspondence with Engine Kit Manufacturer | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Email Correspondence with Pilot | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Witness Statements from FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Aircraft Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | NTSB Wreckage Examination Report | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N145WT on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Honda VTEC · as the NTSB recorded it
- Spanish Fork Muni/Woodhouse Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Utah 1,440 since 1982 · 264 in the last ten years
- Utah 8,360 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR22LA080.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.