Accident Details
On July 6, 2008, at approximately 1245 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N7360J, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing about 24 miles northeast of East Carbon, Utah. The commercial pilot and his passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was registered to Sports Flying Inc. of Northwood, North Dakota, and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country personal flight, which had originated from Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY) in Moab, Utah, around 1145, with an intended destination of Vernal, Utah.
Pilot Account
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was traveling from Prescott, Arizona, to Alaska for a camping trip with planned intermediate stops. Before the accident flight, he refueled the airplane with 20 gallons of 100 low-lead fuel. After departing CNY, he intended to climb to a cruise altitude of 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl), which he had used earlier on the flight from Prescott to CNY. The pilot noted that he planned to continue northbound if he could reach 6,500 feet msl before entering the Green River Canyon. He entered the southern part of the canyon at 6,500 feet msl, but shortly after, the climb rate began to decay, and maintaining altitude became difficult.
The pilot stated that he was committed to flying through the canyon and could not execute a 180-degree turn. The airplane entered a steady slow descent below the canyon rim. While making "fairly steep turns" around corners, the stall warning light illuminated each time. During each turn, he lost 50 to 100 feet of altitude and could not regain any. At approximately 200 feet above ground level, he initiated a precautionary landing in an open area near the Green River. During the landing sequence, the airplane impacted several large rocks before coming to rest upright, and a post-crash fire ensued.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination by the Carbon County Sheriff Department revealed that the post-crash fire consumed the airplane. The fire reportedly ignited a 200-acre wildfire in the area. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine at the time of the accident.
Using weather observations from a station about 41 miles east of the accident site and the accident site elevation of 4,280 feet msl, the NTSB investigator-in-charge calculated the density altitude as 6,708 feet msl. The pilot estimated the airplane's weight at the time of the accident as 2,040 pounds, while the certified maximum gross weight is 2,150 pounds.