- Date
- November 6, 1986, 01:44 local (09:44 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3219QCessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861106056989A
- Case key
- 40703
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
Approximately 5 1/2 minutes after departure and while the aircraft was climbing enroute, an unknown ignition source triggered an explosion of fuel/air vapor which existed within the interior of the left wing. Wing skin from the upper/lower wing surface was lost, however, the wing structure remained integral and the pilots continued to fly the aircraft executing a 180 degree course reversal back to mccarran intnl airport. Subsequent to the explosion a fire developed within the left engine area. As the aircraft continued back towards mccarran the airspeed gradually diminished and the landing gear were lowered. Shortly thereafter the left wing entered a stall condition brought about by a decrease of airspeed as well as the degradation of its lift developing capabilities due to the explosion induced damage. The aircraft then entered an uncontrollable left roll several hundred feet above ground from which a successful recovery could not be executed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3219Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4010019
- Airframe hours
- 5,083
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Wayne L. South
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 3, 1986 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- LAS · Las Vegas, NM
- Destination
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 24
- 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
- 2,700 total · 17 in this make and model · 56 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 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.