- Date
- July 21, 1991, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gerlach, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9977QPiper PA 18-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910721029119A
- Case key
- 27299
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 failure of the pilot to maintain adequate terrain clearance by the selection of an inappropriate cruise altitude resulting in an in flight collision with terrain.
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
In both his written and verbal statements the pilot said that he encountered a 'downdraft' while flying near Gerlach, Nevada. The pilot stated that the downdraft was encountered just as the aircraft overflew a small ridge at low altitude and he could not arrest the rate of descent prior to colliding with the ground in the valley beyond. In his written report of the accident, the pilot said that there was no mechanical malfunction of the aircraft. The closest weather reporting station was reporting winds of less than five knots. The pilot did not indicate that high winds or other unusual meteorological conditions were involved in the accident circumstances.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9977Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3575
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gregory Powning
- Registered owner
- Gregory Powning
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- NV18 · Reno, NV
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 775 total · 500 in this make and model · 740 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9977Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.