N8390KPiper PA-44-180T · 1981

On June 7, 2026, about 1012 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-44-180T, N8390K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he conducted three, day visual flight rules cross-country flights in the multiengine airplane. Prior to the first flight, he used a fuel dipstick to check the fuel quantity in the left and right fuel tank, which he observed 30 gallons of 100LL fuel in each. The first flight leg was flown from South Valley Regional Airport (SVR), West Jordan, Utah, to Logan-Cache Airport (LGU), Logan, Utah, over a span of 34 minutes. The second flight leg was flown from LGU to Bolinder Field/Tooele Valley (TVY), Tooele, Utah, over a span of 35 minutes. The pilot refueled the airplane at TVY, taking on 20 gallons of 100LL, and he did not use the dipstick to identify the fuel quantity in each tank, but the fuel gauges indicated that the left and right tank contained 30 gallons a side. The third flight leg was flown from TVY to St. George Regional Airport (SGU), St. George, Utah, and the duration of flight was 1 hour and 47 minutes.

During the flight from TVY to SGU, the airplane climbed to an altitude of 10,500 ft msl and the pilot subsequently leaned the fuel mixture. Maintaining the altitude of 10,500 ft msl, a headwind was present which the pilot surmised added about 15 minutes to the time enroute to SGU. About 1 hour into the flight, the left and right fuel gauges indicated 20 gallons per side and the pilot subsequently conducted fuel burn calculations noting a fuel consumption rate of 20 gallons per hour.

About 20 nm northeast of SGU, the pilot initiated his approach to runway 19, and the left and right fuel gauges indicated 10 gallons per side. While flying the straight in approach, a regional jet transmitted over the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), that it too was on approach and inbound for landing runway 19. To deconflict aircraft sequence and timing, the pilot in the Piper airplane decided to abort the approach, made a left turn to the east and gave way to the regional jet. About 5 minutes later, the regional jet landed and the pilot in the Piper initiated the approach, but while on a 3-mile final the regional jet announced that it was back taxiing on the active runway and the pilot in the Piper again aborted the landing.

To avoid overflying the active runway, the pilot offset the airplane’s heading and flew on the right side of runway 19. The airplane turned left to the crosswind leg at the traffic pattern altitude and overflew the departure end of the runway. During the left turn, the left engine lost total power. The pilot declared an emergency over the CTAF, feathered and secured the left engine and continued the left turn to the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern. While abeam the numbers for runway 19, the pilot reported that he was unable to maintain altitude and determined that the airplane was not going to make it to the runway, and decided to land on the parallel taxiway A. The pilot continued the descending left turn to base and final and touched down about 15 ft short of taxiway A. The airplane landed on the dirt surface, the landing gear collapsed, the airplane bounced and descended onto the asphalt taxiway surface where it skidded about 100 ft to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage.

The airplane was transported to a secure facility for further examination.

According to the pilot, while en route to the destination airport at an altitude of 1,700 feet, a large bird struck the right horizontal stabilizer resulting in substantial damage. The pilot declared an emergency, diverted, and landed the airplane without further incident.