Dirt Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tonopah, Nevada 89049
Friday, July 3, 1992 9:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE PLANNED TO LAND IN A FARM FIELD TO SURVEY SOME FARM LAND PRIOR TO BIDDING ON A GRAIN HARVESTING JOB. HE STATED THAT AFTER ARRIVING IN THE AREA HE OVERFLEW THE FIELD SELECTED FOR THE LANDING SEVERAL TIMES LOOKING FOR OBSTRUCTIONS AND SOME WAY TO IDENTIFY THE WIND DIRECTION. IN HIS STATEMENT HE INDICATED THAT HE FOUND NO MEANS TO IDENTIFY THE WIND DIRECTION OR SPEED AND ESTIMATED IT TO BE CALM OR NEARLY SO. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH TO THE FIELD THE PILOT SAID HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGH AND HAD AN APPARENT FAST GROUND SPEED, HOWEVER, HE ELECTED NOT TO PERFORM A GO AROUND. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT STOP PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FIELD AND IT COLLIDED WITH A POWER POLE AND ROUGH TERRAIN. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE NOTICED THAT HE HAD LANDED WITH A TAILWIND HE ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 10 KNOTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY IDENTIFY AND COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING TAILWIND CONDITIONS, AND, HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A GO AROUND WHEN HE BECAME AWARE OF BEING HIGH WITH A FAST GROUND SPEED.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/3/1992
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 930
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City TONOPAH
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89049
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DIRT FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID NONE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 5000
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
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) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2340
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 6 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1220
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4417L
NTSB Number LAX92LA286
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172G
Aircraft Series Identifier 172G
Aircraft Serial Number 17254504
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection May 18 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 47
Airframe Hours 2513
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNETH G. WARNER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 230 DRUMM LANE
Aircraft Owner City FALLON
Aircraft Owner State NV
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 89406
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FALLON AIRMOTIVE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1500 RIO VISTA
Operator City FALLON
Operator State NV
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 89406
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CDC
Departure City CEDAR CITY
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 800
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code FLX
Destination City FALLON
Destination State NV
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --