Piper PA28-200R Accident Near Alta, Utah (N1147X)

Accident Overview and Injuries On August 31, 2025, about 1720 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA28-200R, N1147X, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain near Alta, Utah. The flight was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was retained for further examination following the accident. ## Flight Path and Witness Observations Preliminary ADS-B data indicated that the airplane departed from Bolinder Field/Tooele Valley Airport (TVY) and initiated a climbing right turn to the northeast. After receiving a clearance from the Salt Lake Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), the airplane followed the Salt Lake City I-80 VFR Transition route east toward Salt Lake International Airport, then turned south at an altitude of about 6,600 feet. By 1711, the airplane had completed the transition and was on a southbound track as it approached South Jordan, Utah. At that time, the airplane began a climbing left turn to the east, toward the entrance of Little Cottonwood Canyon. The last ADS-B target indicated the airplane was climbing at a rate of about 380 feet per minute and had reached an altitude of 8,400 feet by the time it reached the entrance of the canyon. At that point, the canyon walls were about 1.3 miles apart, with terrain immediately rising to 11,330 feet to the north and 11,253 feet to the south. Witnesses at a lodge at an elevation of about 8,600 feet and about 6 miles further up the canyon observed the airplane flying directly over their location. One witness, who was a pilot, estimated the airplane to be about 100 to 200 feet above him and flying so low that he was immediately concerned. He could hear the engine operating as the airplane continued toward the end of the canyon, which was about 2 miles beyond their location. Another witness, located in a south-facing residence within the canyon at an elevation of about 9,100 feet and 3/4 miles past the lodge, was resting on his deck when he was woken by a loud engine sound. He saw the airplane traveling right to left and almost level with his position. He could hear the engine operating, and the wings were rocking. He stated that the airplane continued up the valley and started to make a gradual left turn that suddenly became aggressive, such that he could see the entire overhead profile of the airplane. The airplane’s nose then dropped, and it collided with the ground in an area of trees on the north face of the valley. ## Impact and Debris Field The airplane impacted terrain within a bowl-shaped area at the end of the canyon. The first point of impact was identified on the trunk at the base of a 4-foot-wide pine tree at an elevation of about 9,060 feet. The bark on the southeast side of the trunk had been removed, leaving a series of three scallop-shaped marks that appeared to match the shape of the three propeller blades. The airframe came to rest about 70 feet uphill from the tree impact point. Fragments of the right outboard wing and aileron were located at the base of the tree. The debris field continued uphill, where the inboard wing and integral fuel tank, along with the right flap, were located. The tank was breached, with semi-circular crush damage to the main spar that matched the general shape of the tree trunk at the initial impact point. The main wreckage consisted of the detached forward cabin and instrument panel, along with the main cabin, empennage, and left wing, all of which remained generally intact. The engine had detached from the airframe during the accident sequence and was located about 30 feet uphill from the main wreckage.