- Date
- April 26, 1993, 09:18 local (16:18 UTC)
- Place
- Las Vegas, NV
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N83364Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930426010609A
- Case key
- 27962
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 the aircraft during the touchdown. Factors in the accident were the pilot's lack of experience and his failure to maintain a balance between the wing fuel tanks.
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
Witnesses to the accident observed the aircraft immediately veer off the left side of the runway after touchdown. The right wing collided with a taxiway sign and the aircraft veered back onto the runway and came to rest on the right pavement edge. In a verbal statement to FAA inspectors, the pilot said that the aircraft banked to the left in the landing flare and touched down with a heading about 45 degrees off the runway centerline. The aircraft was examined by FAA airworthiness inspectors who reported that the left fuel tank was completely full and the right tank was empty. The fuel selector was positioned to the right tank. No other aircraft abnormalities were reported. According to the official weather observation at the airport, the winds were calm at the time of the accident. No unusual meteorological conditions were noted by the tower or reported by other pilots. The pilot received his private certificate 24 days prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83364
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8390035
- Airframe hours
- 4,578
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Royal Aviation
- Registered owner
- William O. Scholes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 26, 1992 · 68 hours before
- Departed
- SNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Airport
- LAS · Maccarren Interannational, runway 19, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 4 in this make and model · 35 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 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.