Piper PA 23-250 accident near Elko, NV
On January 12, 2018, a Piper PA 23-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Elko, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 12, 2018
- Place
- Elko, NV
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 23-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.231°N, 115.533°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180112X51351
Official records · WPR18FA073
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Air Traffic Control - Radar Graphics: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Air Traffic Control -Attachment 3 - Radar Data: Document (REPORT), on ntsb.gov
- FAA Accident Package-Excerpt of ATC Data: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
On January 11, 2018, about 1800 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-23-250 airplane, N54857, collided with mountainous terrain about 42 miles south of Elko, Nevada. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Mach Tuck, LLC and operated by Air America Flight Center, LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed about 1500 from McClellan Airfield (MCC), Sacramento, California, with a destination of Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah. Review of radar and onboard GPS data revealed that the airplane was flying east at an altitude of about 11,500 ft mean sea level (msl) and approaching 11,084-ft-tall Pearl Peak when the pilot reported to air traffic control that he was encountering clouds and was going to turn around to avoid entering icing conditions. The controller then asked if he would like information on nearby airports. The pilot asked for information about the nearest airport and indicated that he would "head over there." The controller provided information for Elko Regional Airport (EKO), Elko, Nevada, about 40 miles north of the airplane's position, and the pilot replied, "Alright, I'm getting super turbulent over here I'm going to head over there." Communication and radar contact with the airplane were lost shortly thereafter. Radar data showed the airplane cross the ridgeline north of Pearl Peak at an altitude of 11,635
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight weather planning, which resulted in the flight over mountainous terrain into forecast instrument meteorological conditions, icing, and mountain wave, and resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
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Browse: Nevada · Piper 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.
