Cessna 140 accident near Harmony, Wyoming, July 3, 2024
On July 3, 2024 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 140, registered N3043S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Harmony, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power as a result of the pilot's inadvertent placement of the fuel selector to the "off" position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2024 · about 3:00 pm local time · cases in 2024
- Place
- Harmony, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140, built 1947 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N3043S · registry record · serial 12709
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the airplane reported that, while maneuvering about 300 ft above ground level, he chose to switch the fuel selector from one tank to the other, and inadvertently switched it to the off position. Subsequently, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing onto rough terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 725 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 587 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,871 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 6,879 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLAR Laramie WY at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KLAR, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLAR 031453Z AUTO 19005KT 10SM CLR 18/01 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP119 T01780006 50002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of airplane from right.
Photograph 2 – View of airplane from left.
Photograph 3 – View of substantial damage to empennage.The 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2025. 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 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3043S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3043S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 140 1,839 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-200-A 297 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Laramie Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Wyoming 778 since 1982 · 108 in the last ten years
- Wyoming 3,234 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N3043S 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR24LA224.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.