Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-24-250 near Rock Springs, WY — 2025-01-14

Investigation ongoingWPR25FA079
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Date
2025-01-14
Location
Rock Springs, WY, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-24-250
Registration
N6502P
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On January 14, 2025, about 0622 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6502P, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS), Rock Springs, Wyoming, on a cross-country flight, with a destination of Apple Valley Airport (APV), Apple Valley, California, where the pilot was going for work. An alert notice (ALNOT) was issued when the pilot did not reach their intended destination. The wreckage was located the following day by local law enforcement. Review of preliminary ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed from RKS to the southwest and climbed to 10,175 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane maintained this altitude on a southwesterly heading for about 11 minutes. Subsequently, the airplane made a descending 180° left turn to 8,400 ft msl, followed by a right climbing turn to about 9,000 ft msl before descending again to 8,400 ft msl on a southernly heading at the end of the flight track. The accident site was located about 1/4 miles south of the last data point of the flight track. Figure 1-ADS-B Flight track and accident site (illustrated). The accident site was located in a remote mountainous area at an elevation of approximately 8,450 ft msl. Examination of the accident site revealed the first identified point of impact was a group of damaged trees. The debris field extended from the first identified point of impact on a heading of about 246° magnetic for about 240 ft. All major structural components and other fragments of the airplane were spread throughout the debris field. The airplane wreckage will be retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of control in flight · Enroute
View NTSB preliminary report

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