Aviat A1 accident near Evanston, Wyoming, October 4, 2025
On October 4, 2025 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2022 Aviat A1, registered N96WJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Evanston, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with downdrafts in mountainous terrain, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the flight through mountainous terrain in marginal weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2025 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Evanston, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Aviat A1 C200, built 2022
- Registration
- N96WJ · registry record · serial 3397
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was flying cross-country to his home airport. While en route, the pilot determined that weather conditions prevented continued flight to his planned destination, and chose to divert to another airport. According to the pilot, while en route to his diversion airport over mountainous terrain, he encountered low ceilings of about 500 to 1,000 ft above ground level and strong downdrafts. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and impacted rising terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and both wings. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He stated that the accident would likely have been prevented if he had stopped at an airport he had passed prior to reaching the mountainous terrain.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 11, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 85 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 2025; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1D6 (piston); 95 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLSK Lusk WY at 6:00 pm
- Destination: KBMC Brigham UT
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 47°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from KEVW, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KEVW 102253Z AUTO 22013G20KT 10SM SCT100 18/08 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP134 T01780083=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 14, 2026. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | First Responder Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos of Accident Airplane | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Meteorology Environmental Conditions | PDF, 23 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR26LA048.