Cessna 172M Skyhawk, N4395R, registered to the Hill Flying Club Inc and operated by a private individual: Fatal accident occurred on December 29, 2017 in Great Salt Lake, Ogden, Utah

Denny Mansell, 71

Peter Ellis, 74

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity:  
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah 

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Hill Flying Club Inc: http://registry.faa.gov/N4395R 

Location: Ogden, UT
Accident Number: WPR18FA063
Date & Time: 12/29/2017, 1441 MST
Registration: N4395R
Aircraft: CESSNA 172M
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under:  Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On December 29, 2017, about 1441 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N4395R, impacted water in the northern portion of the Great Salt Lake. The commercial pilot and a private pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to the Hill Flying Club Inc., and operated by a private individual as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from the Ogden-Hinckley Airport (OGD), Ogden, Utah, about 1420.

After family members became concerned that the pilots had failed to return from their flight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notification (ALNOT) for the airplane. No emergency locator beacon signal was reported. A ground and air search ensued, however, on January 2, 2018, the search was terminated. Subsequently, several days later, an area where the airplane may have impacted was calculated, in the northern portion of the Great Salt Lake. The area was scanned with sonar equipment, and a target that resembled the airplane was identified in about 20 ft of water. On January 13, the target was cofirmed to be the missing airplane. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer:  CESSNA
Registration: N4395R
Model/Series: 172M M
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 



Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: OGD, 4472 ft msl
Observation Time: 1453 MST
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point: 9°C / -3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots, 320°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.15 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: OGDEN, UT (OGD)
Destination:  OGDEN, UT (OGD) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Unknown
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: Unknown
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 41.195556, -112.013056 (est)