- Date
- September 25, 2020, 19:45 local (Sep 26, 2020, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Silver Springs, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4132WPiper PA32-300
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20200925020239A
- Case key
- 102058
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 failure to maintain directional control during a nighttime landing with a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a sign.
Findings · 5
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 reported that, while landing on runway 24 at night, with a crosswind, the airplane veered to the right and despite his control inputs to correct, the airplane exited the runway onto the adjacent soft terrain. Concerned the airplane may “get stuck” in the soft terrain, he maintained power and continued to taxi towards the taxiway. He heard and felt a bang that jolted the airplane. After slowing and turning onto the taxiway, the airplane would not continue. After shutting down the engine, the pilot inspected the airplane and found that the right main landing gear tire was flat, and the left wing was substantially damaged as a result of a collision with a taxiway sign. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the automated weather at the time of the accident was reporting the wind from 290o at 12 knots, gusting to 24 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4132W
- Reported as
- Piper PA32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-40198
- Airframe hours
- 7,293
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 24, 2020
- Departed
- FLX · Fallon, NV
- Destination
- FLX · Fallon, NV
- Airport
- SPZ · Silver Springs Airport, runway 24, 6,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,132 total · 243 in this make and model · 1,083 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 340° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KCXP, 26 nm away
- METAR
- KCXP 260235Z AUTO 34014KT 10SM CLR 24/01 A3010 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB 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.