Piper PA-28-140 N7360J

Summary

On 6 July 2008 at about 18:45 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N7360J, operated by John Buckner Bridewell, was involved in an accident near East Carbon, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 July 2008 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

East Carbon, Utah, United States

Coordinates

39.6472, -110.7189

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N7360J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John Buckner Bridewell

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Moab → Vernal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08LA160

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and decision to continue flight into a canyon area with questionable aircraft performance. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for the precautionary landing and a high density altitude condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while flying near the top of a canyon in cruise flight, the climb performance of the airplane began to decay, and it became difficult to maintain altitude. The pilot elected to continue the flight through the canyon, and as the performance further decayed, the airplane descended below the canyon rim. The pilot stated that he made "fairly steep turn" around the corners, losing altitude each time. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet above ground level, he decided to initiate a precautionary landing in an open area near the Green River. During the landing sequence, the airplane impacted several large rocks before it came to rest upright near the river where a post crash fire ensued, consuming the airplane. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine. Using the recovered weather observations from a weather recording station located about 41 miles east of the accident site and the accident site elevation; the NTSB investigator-in-charge calculated the density altitude to be 6,708 feet msl. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, he estimated the weight of the airplane to be 2,040 pounds. The certified maximum gross weight of the airplane is 2,150 pounds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.