Aviat A1 N96WJ
4 October 2025 · Evanston, Wyoming, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 4 October 2025 at about 23:00 local time, a Aviat A1 registered N96WJ was involved in an accident near Evanston, Wyoming, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Evanston, Wyoming, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.3428, -110.8882
- Aircraft
- Aviat A1
- Registration
- N96WJ
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2022
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lusk → Brigham
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- Unk
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR26LA048
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aviat A1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2025 | Aviat A1 | Etna, Wyoming, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Oct 2024 | Aviat A1 | Seward, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2024 | Aviat A1 | Poole, Nebraska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 2024 | Aviat A1 | Rowlesburg, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 2023 | Aviat A1 | Tellico Plains, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jan 2021 | Aviat A1 | Terrell, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2025 | Piper PA-24-250 | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Sep 2025 | Piper PA-28-180 | Wolf, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Jul 2025 | Airbus A330 | Creston, Wyoming, United States | Delta Air Lines Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 May 2025 | Lee JA30 SUPERSTOL | Evanston, Wyoming, United States | Nicholas Berry | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2025 | Lancair IV | Alpine, Wyoming, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 2025 | Socata TBM 700 | Alpine, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |