Piper PA-24-250 accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, January 14, 2025
On January 14, 2025 at about 1:22 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA-24-250, registered N6502P, was involved in an accident during enroute near Rock Springs, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2025 · about 1:22 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Springs, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250, built 1959 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6502P · registry record · serial 24-1623
- Damage
- Damage not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 14, 2025, about 0622 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6502P, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS), Rock Springs, Wyoming, on a cross-country flight, with a destination of Apple Valley Airport (APV), Apple Valley, California, where the pilot was going for work. An alert notice (ALNOT) was issued when the pilot did not reach their intended destination. The wreckage was located the following day by local law enforcement. Review of preliminary ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed from RKS to the southwest and climbed to 10,175 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane maintained this altitude on a southwesterly heading for about 11 minutes. Subsequently, the airplane made a descending 180° left turn to 8,400 ft msl, followed by a right climbing turn to about 9,000 ft msl before descending again to 8,400 ft msl on a southernly heading at the end of the flight track. The accident site was located about 1/4 miles south of the last data point of the flight track. Figure 1-ADS-B Flight track and accident site (illustrated). The accident site was located in a remote mountainous area at an elevation of approximately 8,450 ft msl. Examination of the accident site revealed the first identified point of impact was a group of damaged trees. The debris field extended from the first identified point of impact on a heading of about 246° magnetic for about 240 ft. All major structural components and other fragments of the airplane were spread throughout the debris field. The airplane wreckage will be retained for further examination.
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 control in flight during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: RKS Rock Springs WY at 1:08 pm
- Destination: APV Apple Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 230° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 am from KRKS, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRKS 141254Z AUTO 23019KT 10SM CLR M11/M13 A3029 RMK AO2 PK WND 23027/1219 SLP331 T11061128
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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.