Aviat INC A-1 accident near Heber City, Utah, February 27, 2025
On February 27, 2025 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1996 Aviat INC A-1, registered N345HU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Heber City, Utah (Heber Valley airport). 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
The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a collision with a snowbank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2025 · about 8:45 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber Valley · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat INC A-1, built 1996 · all A-1s on the register
- Registration
- N345HU · registry record · serial 1312
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after departure he flew for over an hour and 15 minutes and then was maneuvering the airplane when he felt pressure in his inner ears. He was unable to equalize the pressure and opted to land back at the airport. He configured the airplane for landing, but was focused on getting relief for his ears. The airplane touched down normally and he manipulated the flight control stick fully aft. The pilot experienced a loss of directional control and the left tire collided with a snowbank. The airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 214 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 112 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 18, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 31, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,890 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 50 hours total
- Operator: Back Country N345Hu LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04/2, 6,898 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
Weather report (METAR): KHCR 272235Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 07/M08 A3034 RMK AO2 T00661081
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
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 August 11, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · 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 N345HU 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
- N345HU on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aviat Inc A-1 88 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Heber Valley Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Utah 1,440 since 1982 · 264 in the last ten years
- Utah 8,357 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N345HU 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/WPR25LA106.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.