# Incident 20080718848649I: Piper PA44180, Las Vegas, NV, July 18, 2008

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 2008, 11:44 local time
- Place: Las Vegas, NV
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.1750° N, 115.1372° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Las Vegas, NV, within about 7 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1750&lon=-115.1372&mi=10
- Aircraft: N118AT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N118AT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA44180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 170 total, 85 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080718848649I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) N118AT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT CRUISING AT AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 12,000 FEET EN ROUTE TO THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIR TERMINAL WHEN LA CENTER ISSUED TO TRAFFIC ADVISORY AT 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MILES, OPPOSITE DIRECTION 1,000 FEET BELOW.  SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, CENTER QUERIED N118AT ABOUT ITS ALTITUDE BECAUSE OF AN ALTITUDE ALERT ISSUED BY THE ATC AUTOMATION.  N118AT REPLIED HE WAS FIGHTING A LITTLE TURBULENCE, BUT WAS BACK LEVEL AT 12,000 FEET.  NTAP SHOWS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED 400 FEET BELOW IT ASSIGNED ALTITUDE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC AT 11,000 FEET.  THIS WAS A BRIEF AND LIMITED EXCURSION FROM THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE.  IT APPEARS THE PILOT MAY HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED LOOKING FROM TRAFFIC BELOW JUST AFTER THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND.  HE WAS ALSO DEALING WITH TURBULENCE.  HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THE TURBULENCE EXPERIENCED WAS NOT SEVERE ENOUGH TO EXCEED THE PILOT'S OR AIRCRAFT'S CAPABILITY OF MAINTAINING ALTITUDE, BUT WE CANNOT PROVE THIS TO BE THE CASE.  WITH MORE CAREFUL ATTENTION, THE PILOT PROBABLY COULD HAVE EMPLOYED FLIGHT CONTROL INPUTS TO COMPENSATE FOR TURBULENCE AND MAINTAIN THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE.  I CONTACTED THE PILOT BY PHONE 8/7 & 8/8/2008 AND COUNSELED HIM.

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.

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