- Date
- June 12, 2024, 17:30 local (Jun 13, 2024, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fernley, NV · N58 Samsarg Field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4625YPiper PA-25-235
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240612006609A
- Case key
- 194493
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 gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 3
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during landing, he executed a wheel landing. During the rollout, while the airplane’s tail was lowering, a wind gust lifted the right wing. The pilot applied right aileron and left rudder corrections, and the right wing lowered. Subsequently, the right main landing gear tire contacted the soft runway edge, and the airplane exited the runway surface. The pilot applied full engine power to abort the landing, however, the airplane impacted multiple sand bars and spun 180°. The airplane came to rest upright, and the right wing and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 15 with the wind light and variable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4625Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-4339
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 9,494
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Glider tow · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 2024 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- NV23 · Reno, NV
- Destination
- N58 · Fernley, NV
- Airport
- N58 · Samsarg Field, runway 15, 3,974 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 27, 2023
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,905 total · 75 in this make and model · 3,800 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KRNO, 25 nm away
- METAR
- KRNO 130055Z 27016G24KT 10SM FEW110 35/11 A2995 RMK AO2 PK WND 28027/0021 SLP076 CB DSNT SE T03500106
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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.