Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Las Vegas, Nevada 89130
Tuesady, August 29, 2000 11:57 PDT

During cruise flight, the airplane collided with rising terrain while operating under visual flight rules. Prior to departure, Clearance Delivery issued a Class B visual flight rules departure to fly a heading of 270 degrees, climb to 4,000 feet msl, and transmit a transponder code of 4205. The ground controller questioned the pilot about the weather to the west, noting the visibility was no more than 4 to 5 miles from his perspective in the tower. The pilot acknowledged. After departure, the airplane was handed off to the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). The controller identified the airplane and asked the pilot to confirm heading and desired course. The pilot replied 270 heading and "going up V105." A climb to 5,500 feet msl was issued, which the pilot acknowledged. Airway V105 is about 8 nautical miles south of the accident site. The airplane exited Class B airspace to the west. TRACON instructed the pilot to maintain appropriate VFR altitudes, resume own navigation, and contact the west arrival sector. The pilot acknowledged the frequency change only, and continued his climb and heading for about 8 miles. He never contacted the west arrival sector. The west arrival controller accepted the automated handoff. About 10 minutes later, the controller noticed a loss of radar contact with the VFR airplane. The controller had the opportunity and ability to notice that the airplane was approaching high terrain and issued a warning to the pilot. Radar coverage of the airplane was maintained throughout the sector until impact and Mode C altitude returns were continuously received from the airplane. The airplane was dramatically below the minimum vectoring altitude when it entered the 9,200-foot Minimum Vectoring Altitude area about 5,800 feet, however, the controller took no note of this. According to FAA Order 7110.65, Part 2-1-6 Safety Alert, the controller should issue a safety alert to an aircraft if the controller is aware the aircraft is in a position/altitude which, in the controller's judgment, places it in unsafe proximity to terrain, obstructions, or other aircraft. The controller made one radio call to the pilot in the blind. The last radar contact occurred about 7,300 feet msl. The airplane subsequently impacted a vertical rock face in mountainous terrain at an elevation of 7,450 feet.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions into rising terrain and the air traffic controller's failure to issue a Safety Advisory.