- Date
- July 24, 1991, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72JPPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910724029839A
- Case key
- 27303
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control of his airplane and his inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition. A contributing factor related to the presence of the crosswind.
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
During landing rollout on runway 34L the pilot reported that his airplane began 'fish tailing', and he lost control. The airplane veered off the 150 foot wide by 10,002 foot long runway and collided with a berm. Nineteen minutes later the tower reported the local wind was from 300 degrees, at 16 knots. According to the FAA, no mechanical discrepancies were found with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72JP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7640117
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph Pastuszek
- Registered owner
- Joseph Pastuszek
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- APC · Napa, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- RNO · Reno Cannon Intl, runway 34, 10,002 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,292 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 72 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 1 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.