- Date
- January 24, 1992, 19:30 local (Jan 25, 1992, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tonopah, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7325LPiper PA-31P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920124001069A
- Case key
- 27545
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 assure that there was an adequate supply of fuel in the airplane to complete the flight due to alcoholic impairment of efficiency and judgement resulting in a total loss of power of both engines.
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
Someone called the tower at las vegas and advised that the pilot of the accident airplane taxiing out for takeoff had been drinking. The controller instructed the pilot to return to the ramp, but he refused to do so. The controller then advised the pilot that the runway was closed, and the pilot said he had to take off and did so at 1845. The controller contacted the local authorities who in turn informed the Tonopah sheriff's department at the pilot's planned destination. Awaiting deputies observed the airplane land short of the runway. Upon their arrival the pilot was sitting on the left front seat, and there were 3 empty beer cans in the snow below the pilot's window. When the pilot exited the airplane the deputies reported that the pilot smelled of alcoholic beverages, his speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, and his balance was unstable. The pilot refused to undergo a sobriety test or any blood tests. Examination of the wreckage disclosed that the fuel tanks were empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7325L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31P-7400206
- Engine
- Lycoming TSIO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rock Springs Ranch, Ltd
- Registered owner
- Rock Springs Ranch, Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- VGT · North Las Vegas, 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
- 50
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- 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 N7325L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.