- Date
- January 4, 1982, 21:20 local (Jan 5, 1982, 05:20 UTC)
- Place
- Near Las Vegas, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1956HPiper PA-34-200T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820104000609A
- Case key
- 71890
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The aircraft, a Piper PA-34, was on a VFR flight to transport bank checks on a part 135 operation. Another company pilot in a Cessna 207 stated that he encountered instrument conditions at 9500 ft while he was flying from tonopah to las Vegas, NV. The Cessna pilot had talked to the Piper pilot on the radio. Reportedly, the Piper pilot was going to stay at 9500 ft. the wreckage of the Piper was found at the 9500 ft level in mountainous terrain, about 30 miles west of las Vegas. The crash site was on the west side of mt charleston. The aircraft had impacted a slope of about 30 degrees, while traveling on an easterly heading.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1956H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-770160
- Airframe hours
- 2,391
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-E, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Lang Air Service
- Registered owner
- Steven D. Hanks
- Departed
- TPH · Tonopah, NV
- Destination
- VGT · Las Vegas, NV
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 31
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,505 total · 297 as pilot in command · 86 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 97 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DRA, 25 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.