Beech A36 accident near Sparks, NV
On August 31, 2016, a Beech A36 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Sparks, NV. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 31, 2016
- Place
- Sparks, NV
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.521°N, 119.766°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160830X24345
Official records · WPR16FA172
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Air Traffic Control Group Chairman's Factual Report: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Air Traffic Control - Attachment 2 - Graphics: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- FAA ATC Package: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC Communications Excerpts: Document (M4A), on ntsb.gov
- ATC Communications Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 30, 2016, about 1801 Pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft A-36 Bonanza airplane, N985CA, was destroyed when it impacted the ground in a recreational vehicle (RV) park about one-half mile prior to the threshold of runway 16L at Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Sparks, Nevada. The commercial pilot and passenger received fatal injuries, but there were no ground injuries. The airplane was registered to a private individual, and operated by Flying Start Aero, a flight school based at RNO. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Henderson Executive Airport (HND), Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1600, and was destined for RNO. According to one passenger who was on 3 of the flight legs that day, the plan was for the pilot to depart RNO with 2 passengers, pick up a third passenger in Las Vegas, Nevada, and continue on to southern California, where the 3 passengers were to attend a business meeting. Later that day, they planned to reverse that sequence, with the airplane, pilot, and 2 passengers returning to RNO in the late afternoon or early evening. All 3 passengers were employees of the same company, which was based near RNO. According to the passenger, he and another passenger arrived at the Atlantic Aviation facility at RNO at 0350; the pilot was already there, and they proceeded to board the airplane. The flight departed RNO about 0410, and landed at Henderson Executive Airport (HND), Las Vegas, Nevada, so
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of a landing runway which, given the wind and traffic conditions, was susceptible to high crosswinds and the translation of wake turbulence across its approach path, and the controller's and pilot's failure to ensure separation from the B757 and its wake, which resulted in a low-altitude encounter with wake vortices that the pilot was unable to recover from.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
- Cessna TU206G, Dec 7, 1986
- Beech A36TC, Dec 25, 2003
- Cessna T21OL, Mar 1, 1982
- Pilatus PC-12/45, Feb 25, 2023
Browse: Nevada · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
