- Date
- August 15, 1985, 22:47 local (Aug 16, 1985, 05:47 UTC)
- Place
- Sparks, NV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N27476Piper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850815073259A
- Case key
- 40058
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical
Aircraft preflight - inadequateCause
Fuel supply - misjudgedFactor
Forced landing
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
Acft exhausted fuel enroute to destination during cross coun try night flgt. Plt advised ATCT of loss of engines about 20 miles out. Plt made deadstick landing on hwy, struck bridge divider. No fire or reported injures. Inspection disclosed dry fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27476
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 317852022
- Airframe hours
- 1,926
- Engine
- Lycoming T10540J2VD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- William Hutt, doing business as Viking Aviation
- Registered owner
- Desert Leasing, Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 10, 1985 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- ELY · Ely, NV
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,244 total · 105 in this make and model · 5,019 as pilot in command · 199 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 4 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.