Reno/Tahoe Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Reno, Nevada 89502
Friday, September 16, 2005 15:00 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane collided with a runway sign during landing and the firewall and left wing spar attach point were damaged. The pilot said that the flight went as planned until arriving into the vicinity of his landing airport. Approximately 20 nautical miles south, the pilot received the weather information. The winds were reported out of the west at 23 knots, gusting to 30 knots. He was cleared to land on runway 16R and while he was on final, the air traffic control tower controller requested that the pilot go-around due to inbound jet traffic. The pilot was then cleared to land on runway 16L. During touchdown on runway 16L, the airplane's indicated air speed (IAS) was 70 knots and 20 degrees of flaps were extended. As the airplane rolled down the runway, the IAS increased 10 to 15 knots. After 300 feet of roll out, a wind gust hit the airplane and pushed it to the left side of the runway. The pilot applied corrective action; however, the airplane impacted a runway sign approximately 6 to 10 feet from the runway edge. After the airplane impacted the sign, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop. The left wing spar attach was damaged and the firewall sustained impact damage. No mechanical problems were reported.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors to the accident were the gusting quartering tail wind conditions.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/16/2005
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1500
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Reno
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89502
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 392993N
Event Location Longitude 1194608W
Event Location Airport Reno/Tahoe Int'l Airport
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1456 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID RNO
Elevation of weather observation facility 4415
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 12000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 24
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 19026
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jan 31 2006 7:35AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8063T
NTSB Number LAX05CA307
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model PA-32-301
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 32-8206018
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed --
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Midway Air Holdings, Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City --
Aircraft Owner State --
Aircraft Owner Country --
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Gregory Rexroad
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Lake Elsinore
Operator State CA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 --
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code F70
Departure City Murrieta
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RNO
Destination City Reno/Tahoe
Destination State CA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 13 2005 5:42PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 16L
Runway Length 9000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --