Piper PA34 accident near Minden, NV
On February 19, 2018, a Piper PA34 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Minden, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 19, 2018
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Aircraft
- Piper PA34 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.050°N, 119.794°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180220X11813
Official records · WPR18FA091
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Aircraft Performance with ATC Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
On February 19, 2018, about 1125 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T airplane, N14GQ, was destroyed when it impacted the ground about 4 miles northwest of Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV), Minden, Nevada. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from Meadows Field Airport (BFL), Bakersfield, California, about 0900. According to GPS data and a recording of communications between the pilot and air traffic control (ATC), the pilot was in contact with a controller at the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control. At 1119:41, the pilot reported that the airplane was at an altitude of 14,500 ft mean sea level (msl) and about 10 miles southwest of and inbound to MEV. At 1121:16, when the airplane was about 7 miles west of MEV, the controller asked, "how much further north are you going to go or is it for clouds?" The controller then attempted to contact the pilot twice more, at 1122:33 and 1122:39; the pilot responded, at 1122:43, "ah, one four golf Quebec." Three seconds later, the controller asked the pilot again, "how much further north you want to go?" At 1122:50, the pilot asked the controller to please speak up, indicating "I can't hear you." Five seconds later, the controller repeated the question with emphasis. At 1123:07, the pilot responded, "I'm going to orbit here to the south…south over the airport I can see it, maneuvering through
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation while maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment from the use of a sedating antihistamine.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
- Cessna TU206G, Dec 7, 1986
- Beech A36TC, Dec 25, 2003
- Cessna T21OL, Mar 1, 1982
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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.
