# NTSB WPR25LA080: Piper PA-32-300, N4151R, Round Mountain, NV, January 2, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: January 2, 2025, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Round Mountain, NV - Coordinates: 38.76744, -116.93259 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7674&lon=-116.9326&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report September 18, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Piper Aircraft Company, Lycoming Engines - NTSB case key (mKey): 199577 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25LA080 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199577/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199577 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA080 ## Probable cause Impact with mountainous terrain for reasons that could not be determined due to a lack of available evidence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause) - [Terrain: mountainous/hilly terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021010): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Not specified ## Analysis The pilot departed from his home airport on a personal flight for unknown reasons. The pilot and airplane were reported missing three days later, and the wreckage was located in rural mountainous terrain about 174 nautical miles (nm) northwest of the departure airport. ADS-B captured a portion of the accident flight; however, flight track data ended at an altitude of 10,000 ft mean sea level (msl) about 60 nm from the accident site. The airplane impacted the northeastern face of a mountain peak at an elevation about 11,000 ft msl. The impact location was opposite the general track of the accident flight, and it is possible that the pilot may have been returning to the departure airport or circling the area at the time of the accident. Postaccident examination of the recovered components of the airplane revealed no evidence of pre-impact anomalies of the engine or flight controls; however, the scope of the examination was limited because multiple flight control cables and the propeller blades were not recovered from the accident site. Impact damage to the airplane and the orientation of the wreckage at the accident site was consistent with a high-energy impact. Review of weather conditions along the route of flight and at the accident site revealed that visual meteorological conditions prevailed on the day of the accident, with no evidence of clear air turbulence, low-level wind shear, or mountain wave formation potential. Given the lack of flight track information for the final moments of the flight, the circumstances of the airplane’s impact with terrain could not be determined based on available evidence. ## Factual narrative The airplane was serviced with 35 gallons of 100 low lead (100LL) aviation fuel at 1030 on the day of the accident. On January 2, 2025, at an unknown time, a Piper PA-32-300 airplane, N4151R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Round Mountain, Nevada. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot’s wife, he left on the morning of the accident (a Thursday), and when he did not return home that evening, she assumed that he had left for a couple of days to “regroup,” which was not unusual. However, she became worried when the pilot did not respond to texts and phone calls from their children on Saturday, January 4, and filed a missing persons report on Sunday, January 5. After going to the airport, she realized the pilot’s airplane was missing, and her daughter subsequently filed a missing aircraft report. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane on January 6. The wreckage was located by the Nevada Department of Wildlife on January 16. According to ADS-B flight track data, the airplane departed from North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1051 Pacific standard time and made a climbing right turn to a northwesterly heading. About 1104, the airplane turned left to a westerly heading and maintained an altitude about 10,000 ft mean sea level (msl). About 1143, the flight track turned northerly, and continued on this heading until it ceased completely at 1203:48, at an altitude of 10,000 ft msl. The wreckage was located by law enforcement about 60 nm north of the last recorded ADS-B data point at the base of the northeastern face of Mt. Jefferson within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, at an elevation of about 11,000 ft msl. An autopsy was conducted on the pilot by the Clark County Medical Examiner, Las Vegas, Nevada. The cause of death was blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing of the pilot’s specimens conducted by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not reveal any drugs of abuse. The closest weather reporting location was Tonopah Airport (KTPH), Tonopah, Nevada, located about 44 miles south of the accident site at an elevation of 5,430 ft. The 1256 observation included wind from the southwest at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles or more, sky clear below 12,000 ft, temperature 12°C (53°F), dew point temperature -5°C (23°F), and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inHg. The area forecast discussion for 1230 on the day of the accident predicted no operationally significant clouds, wind, or weather for the remainder of the day. The forecast wind for LAS at 9,000 ft was from the south at 11 knots with a temperature of 6°C; at 12,000 ft, forecast wind was from the southwest at 11 knots with a temperature of 0°C. For Ely, Nevada (located about 144 miles southeast of the accident), the wind at 9,000 ft was from the southwest at 7 knots with a temperature of2°C, and for 12,000 ft, from the west at 18 knots with a temperature of 01°C. A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) modeling of the weather at the accident site for 10,650 ft msl to about 12,000 ft msl showed wind from the southwest at approximately 7 kts. The HRRR showed no indication of clear air turbulence, low-level wind shear, or mountain wave formation potential. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the pilot’s wife filed a missing persons report on January 5, 2025. The pilot’s daughter reported that her father did not disclose any plan or intention to fly on the day of the accident to them or anyone they knew. Her father would usually tell her mom if he planned to fly; however, sometimes he would inform her only after he flew. She added that her parents enjoyed hiking together and that her father may have been scouting possible hiking areas in advance of her parents’ upcoming 40th wedding anniversary. The pilot’s wife reported that he had been talking with her about hiking and staying in a cabin in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, an area they had driven through during a previous trip to Idaho. The accident site was located about 174 nm northeast of the departure airport. The NTSB did not launch to the scene of the accident for safety reasons. The airplane was recovered on January 28, 2025, and transported to a secure facility for follow-up examination. Photographs provided by the recovery team showed that the main wreckage came to rest at the base of a mountain ridge. The empennage, which comprised the vertical stabilizer, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, and stabilator, was separated from the fuselage and collocated with the main wreckage. The left wing, fuselage, and engine compartment came to rest a few feet from the main wreckage. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that several sections of flight control cable had completely separated from the airplane due to overstress or cuts made by recovery personnel. The left wing exhibited accordion-style compression along the leading edge. The left aileron primary and balance cables were intact; however, the right aileron primary and balance cables were not found within the recovered wreckage. During a second trip to the accident site, a recovery team retrieved sections of the right wing, along with the second magneto and numerous pieces of airframe skin. The right wing’s leading edge exhibited accordion-style compression and was mostly crushed aft. The propeller blades were not recovered. Mechanical continuity of the engine’s internal components was established visually using a lighted borescope. The crankshaft gear bolt and dowel pin remained secure and intact. The combustion chambers were mechanically undamaged and there was no evidence of foreign object ingestion or detonation. The internal engine components did not exhibit any indications of thermal distress. The piston faces and recovered valves did not exhibit any preimpact damage, displayedcoloration consistent with normal wear, and were free of foreign object ingestion damage signatures. The coloration within the cylinder combustion chambers and recovered portion of the exhaust system was consistent with normal operation. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4151R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4151R), registered now, S/N 32-40465, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (registry code 7103212) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32-40465 - Year built: 1968 - Airframe hours: 5914.9 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540-K1A5 310 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, February 7, 2024 - Departed: VGT, Las Vegas, NV - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 65; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 10, 2018; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 561 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 23 °F - Altimeter: 30.25 inHg - Observed at: KTPH, 44 nm away - METAR: METAR KTPH 022056Z AUTO 21004KT 10SM CLR 12/M05 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP238 T01171050 58027 $= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250102005289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250102005289A), Jan 2, 2025: Piper PA-32-300, Round Mountain, NV, Destroyed, 1 fatal. The aircraft was the subject of an alnot on January 2, 2025. The wreckage was located on January 19, 2025, on the side of a Mountain near mining town Round… ## Docket (16 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199577. 170 MB in all. - FAA adsb data (item 1, KMZ, 228 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20653010&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=20250102_A4E93E_575760498-Rel.kmz - Alnot issuance (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 104 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20653888&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=alnot%20issuance_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA adsb data (excel) (item 3, XLSX, 7.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20653020&FileExtension=xlsx&FileName=20250102_A4E93E_575760498_ADSB-Rel.xlsx - Photo array (item 4, PDF, 8 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20651275&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photo%20array-Rel.pdf - Delete (item 5, PDF, 3 pages, 439 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20654474&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=missing%20persons%20LV%20met%20police_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot logbook (item 6, PDF, 19 pages, 10.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20690632&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=pilot%20log_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum of record, pilot's wife and daughter (item 7, PDF, 2 pages, 73 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20689605&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MORs%20with%20family-Rel.pdf - Fuel receipt (item 8, PDF, 1 page, 16 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20654395&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fuel%20receipt_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Airframe and prop logbook excerpt (item 9, PDF, 3 pages, 141 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20654208&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=airframe%20log_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Engine logbook excerpt (item 10, PDF, 4 pages, 5.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20654344&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=excerpt%20from%20engine%20logbook_Redacted-Rel.pdf - NTSB wreckage examination report (item 11, PDF, 7 pages, 286 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20689333&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20wreckage%20exam%20report-Rel.pdf - Materials laboratory factual report 25-059 (item 12, PDF, 10 pages, 11 photos, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19421300&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%20Factual%20Report%2025-059-Rel.pdf - Environmental study (item 13, PDF, 12 pages, 827 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19638116&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WPR25LA080%20%20-%20Round%20Mountain,%20NV%20Environmental%20Weather%20Study-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 14, PDF, 2 pages, 474 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20654717&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=party%20forms_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot toxicology (item 15, PDF, 1 page, 165 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20654552&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=pilot%20tox_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 16, PDF, 1 page, 121 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20658975&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Retention-Release-of-Wreckage-Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.