- Date
- November 1, 1992, 11:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3722ZPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921101044499A
- Case key
- 27853
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 poorly planned approach, inadequate compensation for the existing winds, and failure to maintain airspeed. Contributing to this accident was the pilot's lack of total expereince and inadvertent stall.
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 pilot and passenger were participating in a flour bombing and power off spot landing contest. After completing the flour bombing event the pilot entered a left downwind to land on a north runway. The surface winds were from the west at 10 mph, gusting to 20 mph with associated downdrafts off of the ridge west of the airport. The airplane overshot the final approach course while at a low altitude and slow airspeed. The pilot applied power, but continued to increase the bank. The wing stalled and the airplane crashed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3722Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7596
- Airframe hours
- 2,514
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nelson, Kevin
- Registered owner
- Nelson, Kevin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 9, 1991 · 71 hours before
- Airport
- NV18 · Nevada Flyers, runway 34, 4,600 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 159 total · 69 in this make and model · 122 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- 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.