History of Flight
On June 17, 2021, at approximately 2253 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N6323R, was destroyed when it collided with terrain near Rush Valley, Utah. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The accident flight was the second leg of a nearly 1,100-mile cross-country trip from Havre City-County Airport (HVR), Montana, to El Centro NAF Airport (NJK), California. The aircraft departed HVR around 1600. According to a friend, the pilot planned to stop for fuel at Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), Idaho, then fly overnight to Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC), Utah, before arriving in El Centro by 0600. The pilot was traveling with her granddaughter, intending the trip as a Father’s Day surprise. She opted to fly overnight to avoid desert heat and turbulence, and planned to rest for two hours at CDC.
The pilot did not use flight-following services, and the aircraft lacked an ADS-B transponder. Radar data from the FAA showed the aircraft departing IDA at 2100 with a VFR transponder code of 1200, flying southbound toward the Malad City VOR. After crossing the VOR at 9,200 ft, it began descending. By 2224, it reached the Promontory Mountains north of Great Salt Lake, then followed a meandering track around Salt Lake City at about 8,200 ft. By 2245, it had reached the Stansbury Mountains, crossing the northern section at 8,200 ft, clearing terrain by about 400 ft. The aircraft then flew south along a corridor between airspace restrictions, briefly coming within 100 ft of terrain. At 2250, it passed east of Deseret Peak (11,031 ft) and began a right turn toward terrain. The last radar return at 2253:10 showed a heading of 221°, altitude 8,200 ft, and airspeed 98 knots, about 0.75 miles from a 10,330-ft peak.
At 2320, the Tooele County Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a fire in the Stansbury Mountains. The next morning, family and friends reported the aircraft missing, and an ALNOT was issued. The wreckage was located by a Forest Service fire crew later that day.
Personnel Information
The pilot graduated from U.S. Army Flight School in February 2001, qualifying on the CH-47D helicopter. She served internationally through 2008, flying combat missions, often in desert terrain. During that period, she logged 689.1 total flight hours, including 167.7 at night and 29.7 with night vision goggles. She held an FAA commercial pilot certificate with rotorcraft and instrument helicopter ratings.
She began flying civil fixed-wing aircraft in October 2020 and received private pilot privileges for airplane single-engine land on March 14, 2021. All of her 174.3 fixed-wing hours were in the accident aircraft type, with 12.8 at night. While in the Army, she routinely flew missions up to 4.5 hours, but the accident flight was her longest solo fixed-wing flight.
Her most recent FAA medical exam was on August 7, 2020; she required reading glasses but received a third-class medical certificate without limitations.
Her flight instructor stated she never discussed the cross-country trip and would have dissuaded her. He had not provided mountain flying training.
There were no witnesses to her sleep schedule the night before. A friend reported she typically awoke between 0430 and 0500, worked from 0600 to 1500, and last spoke to him at 2230 the night before the accident.
Aircraft Information
The pilot purchased the aircraft in December 2020. Maintenance logbooks were lost, but a copy of the last annual inspection (completed January 13, 2021) showed no significant anomalies.
The aircraft had a conventional VFR panel and a Bendix/King KT76 transponder. The pilot stated ADS-B was prohibitively expensive and unnecessary for her typical flying. The aircraft lacked terrain awareness or moving map systems. However, the weekend before the flight, a friend gave her a portable Garmin 696 GPS and GDL 51 SiriusXM receiver, configured for terrain and weather. He offered to train her, but she declined, preferring to teach herself. This was her first flight using it.
She also received FAA VFR sectional and world aeronautical charts, and used a free flight planning app on her phone with basic moving map features but no terrain warnings. The friend noted she enjoyed pilotage and landmark navigation, was familiar with sectional charts, and was sensitive about MOAs due to her military training. She adhered to a rigid, rules-based operating style.
She expressed concern about fatigue but believed her granddaughter would keep her awake. She recalled Army training to use supplemental oxygen for night flights above 5,000 ft, so the friend lent her an oxygen system with one cannula and a filled tank.
According to family, the granddaughter typically flew in a booster seat on the front right seat.
Meteorological Information
The SEVIER D MOA (9,500 ft to 18,000 ft) was active; SEVIER B (100 ft AGL to 9,500 ft) was not active. The pilot did not file a flight plan or receive flight following. She planned to avoid the Salt Lake City Mode C and ADS-B veils because the aircraft lacked ADS-B, and she was aware of the MOAs.
The nearest weather station, Bolinder Field-Tooele Valley Airport (KTVY), about 16 miles northeast at 4,322 ft elevation, reported calm to light wind, clear skies, and 10 miles visibility.
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model data for 2300 MDT indicated surface wind from 250° at 7 knots, backing to west-southwest with height, with gradual increasing speeds. The 18,000 ft wind was from 250° at 14 knots, and maximum wind at 27,500 ft from 270° at 46 knots. No strong vertical wind shears below 18,000 ft were found, and winds were below mountain wave thresholds. Scattered clouds existed near 23,000 ft with a broken cirriform layer near 33,000 ft.
Civil twilight ended at 2136. The moon was 34° above the horizon at 243° azimuth with about 50% illumination.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft came to rest on a 30° uphill slope in a valley, about 1,300 ft beyond the last radar target at the same elevation (8,200 ft). Terrain within a mile rose rapidly to about 10,300 ft. The valley was about 3 miles north of Johnson Pass (6,515 ft), marked on sectional and terminal area charts.
The terrain consisted of loose rock, soil, pine trees, and brush. The first impact point was an 18-inch-wide tree trunk severed about 15 ft above ground. The left wing detached and was found 10 ft upslope, with a semi-circular indentation matching the trunk diameter. A 10-ft-wide ground disruption contained painted aluminum fragments and the nose wheel. The main wreckage—cabin, right wing, engine, and empennage—was 20 ft further upslope, oriented on a heading of about 220°. The engine remained partially attached; the propeller detached and was found 15 ft further upslope.
No preimpact mechanical malfunction was found on the airframe or engine. Both fuel tanks showed hydrodynamic deformation consistent with containing fuel at impact. Both propeller blades had deep leading-edge gouges and scoring, indicating engine operation at impact. The instrument panel was destroyed. The oxygen tank was damaged, with its valve open. All seat belt buckles were recovered and appeared latched.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy from the Office of the Medical Examiner, Utah Department of Health, determined the pilot's cause of death as blunt force injuries, with manner of death accident. No significant natural disease was identified. FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory toxicology tests were negative for all screened drugs and alcohol.