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20180219002899A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200T · Minden, NV · February 19, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 19, 2018 · 11:30 local
Place
Minden, NV
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N14GQ
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR18FA091
Reported as
Piper PA-34-200T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
6,500 total15 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N14GQRegistration cancelled Nov 1, 2019 · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-7870455 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Iic privacy data omitted arrived at the accident scene and noted N14GQ had impacted the ground inverted. The nose, left wing outboard of the engine, and complete empennage were not at the accident scene. The visible portion of the left propeller showed no damage. The right propeller was not immediately located. The left wing had separated outboard of the engine. The control cables were intact to the bell crank, which had pulled out of the structure. The complete empennage was missing and the control cables were broom strawed. The right wing had separated outboard of the engine but was still attached to the fuselage by the control cables. A Piper aircraft representative was present and verified continuity of the flight controls. Examination of the fuel system showed fuel was present in the filter cups for both the left and right sides. Examination of the fuel control valves showed both the left and right valves were functionally correctly and in the correct position. The right propeller was located in a sagebrush bush with the visible portion showing no damage. Both the left and right propeller blades that were buried showed rotational damage.

As the FAA filed it

IIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND NOTED N14GQ HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND INVERTED. THE NOSE, LEFT WING OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINE, AND COMPLETE EMPENNAGE WERE NOT AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE VISIBLE PORTION OF THE LEFT PROPELLER SHOWED NO DAMAGE. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY LOCATED. THE LEFT WING HAD SEPARATED OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINE. THE CONTROL CABLES WERE INTACT TO THE BELL CRANK, WHICH HAD PULLED OUT OF THE STRUCTURE. THE COMPLETE EMPENNAGE WAS MISSING AND THE CONTROL CABLES WERE BROOM STRAWED. THE RIGHT WING HAD SEPARATED OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINE BUT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE BY THE CONTROL CABLES. A PIPER AIRCRAFT REPRESENTATIVE WAS PRESENT AND VERIFIED CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM SHOWED FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE FILTER CUPS FOR BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL CONTROL VALVES SHOWED BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT VALVES WERE FUNCTIONALLY CORRECTLY AND IN THE CORRECT POSITION. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS LOCATED IN A SAGEBRUSH BUSH WITH THE VISIBLE PORTION SHOWING NO DAMAGE. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT PROPELLER BLADES THAT WERE BURIED SHOWED ROTATIONAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR18FA091Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportMinden, NVThe 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.Feb 19, 2018 · Destroyed