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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2025 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Heber City, Utah · Heber Valley · 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N345HU the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 WPR25LA106.