- Date
- May 20, 1987, 03:55 local (10:55 UTC)
- Place
- North Las Vegas, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N22LVPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 31, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870520014789A
- Case key
- 40517
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
A mechanic, who was not rated as a plt, took the acft without permission & elected to takeoff at ngt. A witness saw the acft dep at about 0250 PDT. Subsequently, it crashed aprx 3 mi ene of the arpt in an open undeveloped area. The time of the acdnt was not determined, but a clock in the wreckage had stopped at 0355. There was evidence the acft had impacted in a nose down, inverted attitude while on a nne hdg. The acft moved only 28' after impact & came to rest inverted with the gear extended & the flaps retracted. No preimpact mechanical problem was fnd. Toxicology tests showed the plt had a blood/alcohol lvl of 0.37% & a vitreous/alcohol lvl of 0.33%. No record was fnd to indc that he had engaged in any previous formal flt training. There was evidence the plt had been under recent stress. A friend rprtd the plt & his wife were 'breaking up.' The plt's wife rprtd he had a drinking problem' which was the reason for their sepn.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22LV
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7752066
- Airframe hours
- 8,672
- Engine
- Lycoming L/TIO-540, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Las Vegas Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 12, 1987 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- VGT · North Las Vegas, NV
- Destination
- Unkown
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
- 28
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 9 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.