Piper PA-28-180 accident near Ritchfield, Utah, August 8, 2023
On August 8, 2023 at about 5:55 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-28-180, registered N8823J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Ritchfield, Utah. It was a ferry 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 improper preflight planning that resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2023 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Ritchfield, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1965 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8823J · registry record · serial 28-2778
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after flying for about four hours, the engine began to surge. Concerned about the fuel condition, he switched to the other fuel tank and turned toward a highway for a potential emergency landing. While descending, the engine experienced surges again and then sputtered, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot noticed that both fuel tank gauges were showing empty. While maneuvering over the highway for a forced landing, the airplane’s right wingtip collided with a semi-truck, causing the airplane to strike the highway and veer off into a median. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. 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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,400 hours in all; 5,500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 9,800 as pilot in command; 6,600 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 686 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 632 as pilot in command; 225 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,938 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 17, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 582 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVK Livermore CA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: N79 Northumberland PA
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KFOM, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFOM 081815Z AUTO 7SM CLR 26/05 A3018 RMK AO2 T02580051
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 4, 2024. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | POH PA28-180 | PDF, 28 pages | 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.