Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Reno Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Reno, Nevada 89502
Friday, August 2, 1991 20:33 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A PIPER PA 28-180 COLLIDED WITH PORTABLE BUILDINGS ON THE AIRPORT AFTER AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING PROBLEMS RECEIVING RADIO TRANSMISSIONS. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND ON THE RWY MOST INTO THE WIND. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED PAST THE ACTIVE RWY AND APPROACHED A PERPENDICULAR RWY RESULTING IN A QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE OVERSHOT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE OF THE PERPENDICULAR RWY AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING THE GO-AROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE NOT GAINING ALTITUDE AND AT A SLOW AIRSPEED. THE WITNESSES ALSO INDICATED THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE APPEARED NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE THEN TURNED RIGHT, INTO A QUARTERING HEADWIND, STALLED, AND DESCENDED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE WIND VELOCITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 13 KTS. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS COMPUTED TO BE ABOUT 7,500 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE PIPER PA 28-180, THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF A 375 FOOT PER MINUTE RATE OF CLIMB.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED BY EMPLOYING AN EXCESSIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB DURING A GO-AROUND RESULTING IN AN AERODYNAMIC STALL AND SUBSEQUENT INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S POOR APPROACH PLANNING, COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND A HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/2/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2033 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | RENO |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89502 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | RENO |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RNO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4412 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2045 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4412 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7500 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2055 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45857 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5277L |
| NTSB Number | LAX91FA342 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA 28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA 28-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-4576 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 1 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4695 |
| Airframe Hours | 251 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NIEMANN, DAVID L. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3482 COOPER DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA CLARA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95051 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SQUADRON 2 |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 12423 GREEN MEADOW |
| Operator City | SARATOGA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95070 |
| 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 | OAK |
| Departure City | OAKLAND |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1852 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 16 |
| Runway Length | 10000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |