Boulder City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Boulder City, Nevada 89005
Monday, June 15, 1992 13:08 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A PIPER PA-38-112 COLLIDED WITH AN UNMARKED POWER TRANSMISSION LINE STATIC CABLE DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB AFTER EXECUTING A TOUCH AND GO MANEUVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS AT A CONSTANT AIRSPEED AND LOW ALTITUDE ABOVE THE UPSLOPING TERRAIN LOCATED NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE THEN STRUCK THE STATIC CABLE WITH ITS RIGHT WING AS IT ENTERED A RIGHT TURN. THE 20:1 APPROACH CLEAR ZONE PLANE RATIO FOR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY IS OBSTRUCTED BY AN APPROXIMATE FOUR FOOT HIGH DIRT BERM. RISING TERRAIN CONTINUES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT BUT DOES NOT OBSTRUCT THE 20:1 CLEARANCE RATIO. POWER TRANSMISSION LINES CROSS RUNWAY 33'S EXTENDED CENTERLINE ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING ABOUT 3,800 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY END. SUPPORT TOWERS FOR THE POWER TRANSMISSION LINE CABLES ARE ABOUT 60 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, BUT DID NOT EXTEND INTO THE 20:1 CLEARANCE RATIO. THE POWER TRANSMISSION LINES ARE DEPICTED ON THE SECTIONAL AERONAUTICAL CHART. THE AIRPLANE'S FLAPS WERE FOUND TO BE FULLY EXTENDED. THE PIPER INFORMATION MANUAL DOES NOT PRESCRIBE THE USE OF FULL FLAPS FOR ANY TAKEOFF MANEUVERS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO INSURE THE PROPER FLAP SETTING FOR TAKEOFF WHICH RESULTED IN THE PROPER CLIMB RATE NOT BEING ATTAINED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS RISING TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/15/1992
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1308
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City BOULDER CITY
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89005
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BOULDER CITY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 61B
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 340
Airport Elevation 2201
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 457
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 15 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1400
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47920
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:59PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2516D
NTSB Number LAX92FA247
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-38-112
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-38-112
Aircraft Serial Number 38-79A0349
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 4 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 68
Airframe Hours 4554
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TOMOHAWK LEASING
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4560 EAST TROPICANA AVE.
Aircraft Owner City LAS VEGAS
Aircraft Owner State NV
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 89121
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DESERT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5700 SOUTH HAVEN
Operator City LAS VEGAS
Operator State NV
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 89119
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LAS
Departure City LAS VEGAS
Departure State NV
Departure Country
Departure Time 1210
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 33
Runway Length 3850
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --