# Accident 19970912026599A: Piper PA28R180, Reno, NV, September 12, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 12, 1997, 13:50 local time - Place: Reno, NV - Airport: Reno/Tahoe International Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.5201° N, 119.8107° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5201&lon=-119.8107&mi=10 - Aircraft: N69645, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N69645-2017-07-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28R-180 (registry code 7102809, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R180 - Reported engine: LYC IO360B1E - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 450 total, 8 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97LA324](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA324) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970912026599A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON LANDING. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON AND HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND SO THE TOWER COULD VISUALLY CHECK THE GEAR'S POSITION. THE TOWER CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED DOWN. ON CROSSWIND, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND STRUCK A FENCE. THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE BEGAN SPUTTERING WHEN HE INITIATED THE CLIMB. WITNESSES, INCLUDING ANOTHER PILOT IN THE PATTERN, REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WITH THE WINGS OSCILLATING BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL AND DESCENDED BEHIND BUILDINGS. THE PILOT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT FOR THE FLIGHT. A STATEMENT OF DEMONSTRATED ALILITY WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 17, 1987, FOR A RIGHT ARM AMPUTATION FROM THE SHOULDER DOWN ON THE BASIS OF A SPECIAL MEDICAL FLIGHT TEST IN A NON-COMPLEX PIPER PA28-180. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO CONDUCTED THE FLIGHT TEST ISSUED A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SEVERAL LIMITATIONS, WHICH WERE NOT TRANSFERRED TO HIS SUBSEQUENT TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT PILOT CERTIFICATES AS REQUIRED BY PERTINENT FAA ORDERS. THE CFR WHO FLEW WITH THE PILOT JUST BEFORE THIS FLIGHT NOTED THAT HE HAD MANY DIFFICULTIES IN CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT AND WORKING THE TRIM, ADJUSTING THE POWER SETTINGS, OPERATING THE GEAR CONTROLS, TALKING ON THE RADIO, AND MOVING THE FLAP CONTROL HANDLE. IN ANY OF THOSE OPERATIONS, THE PILOT HAD TO HOLD THE YOKE WITH HIS KNEES AND REACH ACROSS HIS BODY. THE CFI SAID THE PILOT NEEDED MORE WORK AND DID NOT ENDORSE HIM FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCITION WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS OR ENGINE. FUEL SYSTEM CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. A MEASURED 2.5 GALLONS WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING TANK AND 1.5 GALLONS FROM THE RIGHT WING TANK (UNUSABLE FUEL IN EACH TANK IS 1-GALLON). A SCREW THAT ATTACHES TO THE BUS WAS FOUND TO BE MISSING FROM THE LANDING GEAR INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE SYSTEM HAD BEEN WORKED ON BY A MAINTENANCE FACILITY JUST BEFORE THE FLIGHT. PRIOR THE THE 4.5-HOUR ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD LOGGED 3 HOURS IN HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT WITH A CFI. MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS, NORMAL AND EMERGENCY, ARE ON THE PILOT'S RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT WORE NO PROSTHETIC DEVICE DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. NONE OF THE PASSENGERS WERE RATED PILOTS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX97LA324](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA324), Sep 12, 1997: Piper PA28R-180 (N69645), Reno, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during a go-around, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's lack of qualification in the aircraft;… ## Other reports on N69645 (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19840320021639I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840320021639I), Mar 20, 1984: Piper PA28R180 (N69645), Austin, TX, Minor damage. Gear test flight. Unable to get nose gear down. Landed nose gear up. Left upper drag strut attach point was loose. - [Incident 19791115055779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791115055779I), Nov 15, 1979: Piper PA28R180 (N69645), St Paul, MN, Minor damage. After alternator failure, pilot lowered gear manually. Nose gear not extended. - [Incident 19790913048879I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790913048879I), Sep 13, 1979: Piper PA28R180 (N69645), Anoka, MN, Minor damage. During landing roll, nose gear did not remain fully extended. Probably inadvertent gear retraction by pilot. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.