- Date
- May 17, 1994, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1349JRockwell 112A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940517011179A
- Case key
- 19058
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A gradual deterioration of engine power was experienced during initial takeoff climb. The pilot attempted to land on a busy highway, but was unable due to vehicular traffic. The airplane continued alongside the highway and touched down on the shoulder of the roadway with the landing gear extended. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Factual narrative
On May 17, 1994, at 1645 Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell Commander 112A, N1349J, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Henderson, Nevada. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to the pilot, he departed runway 18 and a shallow right climbing turn was initiated after the gear was retracted. A 200 rpm loss was experienced and a gradual degradation of engine power was observed without any sign of vibration, detonation, backfiring or sputtering. The loss of power continued to the point where the airplane could not maintain altitude.
The pilot elected to turn towards a busy highway, but had to veer away to avoid colliding with vehicles on the highway. The airplane touched down on the left shoulder of the roadway with the landing gear extended. Prior to coming to a stop on the desert floor, both main landing gears collapsed after impacting a drainage ditch.
The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1349J
- Reported as
- Rockwell 112A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 349
- Airframe hours
- 2,036
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1D6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cochran, Keith W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 13, 1993 · 8 hours before
- Destination
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 870 total · 429 in this make and model · 780 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.