Student pilot killed in Utah Lake crash after turbulence near Provo Airport

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on a fatal crash that occurred just before 4 p.m. on August 7 near Provo Municipal Airport. A Textron Aviation Cessna 172 Skyhawk, owned by ATP Flight School, took off and within seconds began a steep descent, a maneuver linked to moderate to severe turbulence. Audio from air traffic control confirmed multiple pilots had warned of the turbulent conditions, and security footage captured tall dust formations drifting across the airport’s eastern perimeter.

The plane impacted Provo Bay, creating a debris field roughly 100 feet long; the forward cabin, engine and both wings sank, leaving only a propeller tip above the water’s surface. The flight instructor sustained serious injuries, while the student pilot, 25-year-old Chase Riley Day, was fatally injured. Day’s funeral was held on August 15, with his family expressing profound grief.