- Date
- August 25, 1986, 21:00 local (Aug 26, 1986, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mesquite, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N340MVCessna 340A
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860825042439A
- Case key
- 40300
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.
Analysis
While en route, the plt was cleared to deviate 20 deg left of course to avoid thunderstorm (tstm) activity that ARTCC radar showed was rgt of course. The plt rprtd turbc, but demurred descending to a lower alt despite a PIREP of clear wx below. He then rprtd 'in a cell' with turbc. Radar & radio contact with the acft were lost. Another plt, who flew aprx 15 mi further south, rprtd no wx, but said there was extreme wx to the north with near constant lightning. Subsequently,N340MV impacted the ground in a steep nose-down, left wing low attitude, after a 14,000 ft dscnt. The landing gear was extended when the plane crashed. An exam of the wreckage revealed no preimpact structural failure or acft component malfunction. Also, the wreckage showed no evidence of weather damage from hail or lightning. However, wx info showed there was high alt tstm activity with turbc in the area at the time of the mishap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N340MV
- Reported as
- Cessna 340A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 340A0209
- Airframe hours
- 1,480
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-N, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Barnard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 3, 1986 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- BUR · Burbank, CA
- Destination
- 2V5 · Wray, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 53
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 14 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Observed at
- LAS, 77 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.