What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 17, 2019 at 1844PST, N320JT, a Cessna 550, multiengine turbojet airplane impacted a runway surface at the Mesquite airport in Mesquite, Nevada. The single pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft was not injured. The aircraft appeared to have sustained substantial damage on impact and was mostly destroyed by a post-crash fire.
N320JT, using the call sign JTN410 (jet test 410), departed pasco, WA (kpsc) at approximately 1625 PST enroute to henderson, NV (hnd) on an IFR flight plan with an estimated arrival time of 1850 PST.
Review of the radar playback indicates that the pilot of N320JT did not respond to ATC inquires in a direct manner or completely failed to respond in some instances. N320JT did not follow ATC instructions and the pilot of the aircraft was excessively talkative and repetitive in communications.
N320JT made a hard landing at the Mesquite, NV airport (67L). A surveillance video shows the aircraft on ground roll out with fire trailing the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest approximately 50 feet off the left side of runway 01. A post crash fire ensued burning the wings and cabin portion of the fuselage. The engines and empennage were not consumed by the fire.
Examination of the runway and debris field indicates that the aircraft landed to the right side of the centerline. The intial touchdown impact area is evident by discoloration, paint transfer, tire residue, skid marks and gouges in the runway. These markings were found approximately one half of the total runway length or 2550 feet from the threshold of runway 01.
Three employees of mercy air, a helicopter medevac company, located on the airfield near the crash site witnessed the accident. These included a pilot, flight nurse and medic.
The mercy air pilot saw a burning aircraft sliding down the runway. He ran to the aircraft with a portable fire extinguisher. The mercy air pilot stated that it took him 2 minutes or less to arrive at the aircraft. He said on the way he saw the aircraft?s door open. He asked the pilot if anyone else was on board. He said the pilot of the aircraft had difficulties responding to questions. He said the pilot stayed on board moving from the front to the back of the aircraft but could not tell what he was doing. The mercy air pilot yelled at him several times to get out of the burning aircraft. The pilot removed himself and went to the mercy air pilot to get the fire extinguisher. The mercy air pilot described his movement and gate as altered as he stumbled along the way. According to the mercy air pilot, all three mercy air crew were yelling at him to get away from the aircraft, but he continued to stumble fighting the fire.
The mercy air flight nurse and medic heard a loud boom both obseved the
Plane sliding down the runway in flames. They stated that they assisted the pilot away from the plane. privacy data omitted
The Mesquite police department interviewed the pilot at the scene and arrested him privacy data omitted. The pilot was taken to the mesa view hospital in Mesquite, NV for a blood test. Two vials of blood were taken and tested privacy data omitted approximately 2 hours after the accident. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 17, 2019 AT 1844PST, N320JT, A CESSNA 550, MULTIENGINE TURBOJET AIRPLANE IMPACTED A RUNWAY SURFACE AT THE MESQUITE AIRPORT IN MESQUITE, NEVADA. THE SINGLE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON IMPACT AND WAS MOSTLY DESTROYED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE.
N320JT, USING THE CALL SIGN JTN410 (JET TEST 410), DEPARTED PASCO, WA (KPSC) AT APPROXIMATELY 1625 PST ENROUTE TO HENDERSON, NV (HND) ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH AN ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME OF 1850 PST.
REVIEW OF THE RADAR PLAYBACK INDICATES THAT THE PILOT OF N320JT DID NOT RESPOND TO ATC INQUIRES IN A DIRECT MANNER OR COMPLETELY FAILED TO RESPOND IN SOME INSTANCES. N320JT DID NOT FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXCESSIVELY TALKATIVE AND REPETITIVE IN COMMUNICATIONS.
N320JT MADE A HARD LANDING AT THE MESQUITE, NV AIRPORT (67L). A SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT ON GROUND ROLL OUT WITH FIRE TRAILING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 01. A POST CRASH FIRE ENSUED BURNING THE WINGS AND CABIN PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE. THE ENGINES AND EMPENNAGE WERE NOT CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.
EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY AND DEBRIS FIELD INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CENTERLINE. THE INTIAL TOUCHDOWN IMPACT AREA IS EVIDENT BY DISCOLORATION, PAINT TRANSFER, TIRE RESIDUE, SKID MARKS AND GOUGES IN THE RUNWAY. THESE MARKINGS WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OF THE TOTAL RUNWAY LENGTH OR 2550 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 01.
THREE EMPLOYEES OF MERCY AIR, A HELICOPTER MEDEVAC COMPANY, LOCATED ON THE AIRFIELD NEAR THE CRASH SITE WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. THESE INCLUDED A PILOT, FLIGHT NURSE AND MEDIC.
THE MERCY AIR PILOT SAW A BURNING AIRCRAFT SLIDING DOWN THE RUNWAY. HE RAN TO THE AIRCRAFT WITH A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE MERCY AIR PILOT STATED THAT IT TOOK HIM 2 MINUTES OR LESS TO ARRIVE AT THE AIRCRAFT. HE SAID ON THE WAY HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT?S DOOR OPEN. HE ASKED THE PILOT IF ANYONE ELSE WAS ON BOARD. HE SAID THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD DIFFICULTIES RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS. HE SAID THE PILOT STAYED ON BOARD MOVING FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT COULD NOT TELL WHAT HE WAS DOING. THE MERCY AIR PILOT YELLED AT HIM SEVERAL TIMES TO GET OUT OF THE BURNING AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT REMOVED HIMSELF AND WENT TO THE MERCY AIR PILOT TO GET THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE MERCY AIR PILOT DESCRIBED HIS MOVEMENT AND GATE AS ALTERED AS HE STUMBLED ALONG THE WAY. ACCORDING TO THE MERCY AIR PILOT, ALL THREE MERCY AIR CREW WERE YELLING AT HIM TO GET AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT, BUT HE CONTINUED TO STUMBLE FIGHTING THE FIRE.
THE MERCY AIR FLIGHT NURSE AND MEDIC HEARD A LOUD BOOM BOTH OBSEVED THE
PLANE SLIDING DOWN THE RUNWAY IN FLAMES. THEY STATED THAT THEY ASSISTED THE PILOT AWAY FROM THE PLANE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
THE MESQUITE POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERVIEWED THE PILOT AT THE SCENE AND ARRESTED HIM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE MESA VIEW HOSPITAL IN MESQUITE, NV FOR A BLOOD TEST. TWO VIALS OF BLOOD WERE TAKEN AND TESTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.