19990412016949I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA60601P · Shoshone, CA · April 12, 1999

Date: April 12, 1999 · 13:40 local
Place: Shoshone, CA
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2VK
Reported as: Piper PA60601P
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540S1A5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,000 total400 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N2VKRegistered now · Smith AEROSTAR 601PS/N 61P-0328-093 Airframe modelSmith AEROSTAR 601P Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

This incident was originally classified as accident/ #LAX99LA146. Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff from las vegas mccarran int'l airport (las), the pilot lost control of the aircraft at 12700 MSL while climbing to 14000 in IMC conditions. The aircraft lost nearly 8000 feet while descending, something inverted, until the pilot regained level flight below the overcast in a desert valley. The pilot referred to the event as a "turbulence upset". Still in contact with los angeles center, the pilot received vectors first to daggett, then to Shoshone, CA, where he landed safely approximately 75 minutes after takeoff.

As the FAA filed it

THIS INCIDENT WAS ORIGINALLY CLASSIFIED AS ACCIDENT/ #LAX99LA146. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM LAS VEGAS MCCARRAN INT'L AIRPORT (LAS), THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AT 12700 MSL WHILE CLIMBING TO 14000 IN IMC CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT LOST NEARLY 8000 FEET WHILE DESCENDING, SOMETHING INVERTED, UNTIL THE PILOT REGAINED LEVEL FLIGHT BELOW THE OVERCAST IN A DESERT VALLEY. THE PILOT REFERRED TO THE EVENT AS A "TURBULENCE UPSET". STILL IN CONTACT WITH LOS ANGELES CENTER, THE PILOT RECEIVED VECTORS FIRST TO DAGGETT, THEN TO SHOSHONE, CA, WHERE HE LANDED SAFELY APPROXIMATELY 75 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF.