Honda Aircraft CO LLC HA-420 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, November 15, 2022
On November 15, 2022 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 2020 Honda Aircraft CO LLC HA-420, registered N789RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadvertent attempt to takeoff on a left side of runway, rather than the centerline of runway, which resulted in a collision with runway edge lights during the night time takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2022 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Honda Aircraft CO LLC HA-420, built 2020 · all HA-420s on the register
- Registration
- N789RJ · registry record · serial 42000172
- 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, after receiving clearance for the night time takeoff, he set the heading bug to the flight heading while entering the runway. He mistook the left runway edge lights for the runway centerline and attempted a takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the left wing struck the runway edge lights and the pilot aborted the takeoff. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,625 hours in all; 380 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 443 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 10,700 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Honda/Ge Aero HF120 (turbojet); 442 hours total
- Engine 2: Honda/Ge Aero HF120 (turbojet); 442 hours total
The flight
- Destination: KIDA Idaho Falls ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 9,596 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.55 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from KSLC
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSLC 160454Z 16003KT 10SM FEW060 M01/M06 A3055 RMK AO2 SLP362 T10111061=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 5, 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR23LA032.