- Date
- September 2, 2011, 18:00 local (Sep 3, 2011, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gerlach, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7303WPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110902022469A
- Case key
- 81685
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 decision to land at an unknown off-airport location.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was flying the airplane over a large open desert playa. He decided to land after flying low over the surface to determine if he could make a safe landing. The surface appeared to be flat and dry. Upon touching down, the landing gear dug into the about 8-inch deep soft tufa. The airplane cartwheeled, resulting in separation of the left wing and bending and wrinkling the left horizontal stabilizer. The left side of the fuselage, the engine mount, and the firewall were also bent and wrinkled.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was flying the airplane over a large open desert playa. He decided to land after flying low over the surface to determine if he could make a safe landing. The surface appeared to be flat and dry. Upon touching down, the landing gear dug into the about 8-inch deep soft tufa. The airplane cartwheeled resulting in separation of the left wing and bending and wrinkling the left horizontal stabilizer. The left side of the fuselage, the engine mount, and the firewall were also bent and wrinkled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7303W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1159
- Airframe hours
- 4,270
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark W. Switzer
- Registered owner
- Mark W. Switzer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 2011
- Departed
- SVE · Susanville, CA
- Destination
- 88NV · Gerlach, NV
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 302 total · 68 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 65 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 585 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.