Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
North Las Vegas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mount Charleston, Nevada 89124
Saturday, June 28, 2008 14:50 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot's initial course after takeoff would have put the airplane passing to the north of a mountain range. As the airplane continued the climb, the pilot changed course towards the mountainous terrain. The air traffic controller asked the pilot if he would be flying southwest of the mountain range, to which the pilot replied in the affirmative. The air traffic controller then terminated radar services. The airplane then made two heading changes and continued to fly into a mountain valley area. Witnesses located about 6 miles further into the valley observed the airplane flying at altitudes of 300 feet above ground level and below, and towards rising terrain. Witnesses additionally reported hearing steady engine noise consistent with high rpm. The airplane then collided with a tree and rising terrain at the base of a box canyon. The accident site was located at 7,660 feet, on a 10-degree uphill sloping valley floor. The accident site was about 6 miles west, and 860 feet above the final radar return, and 26 miles west, and 5,455 feet above the departure airport. Steep sloping canyon walls with elevations ranging between 10,000 and 11,918 feet surrounded the site immediately to the north, west, and south. From the accident site's elevation, the peak of the canyon's rim rose in excess of the airplane's climb performance capability. The calculated density altitude at the accident elevation was about 11,000 feet. The service ceiling for the airplane at a maximum gross weight was 16,250 feet. Within the valley area, about 4 miles west of the last radar return, a course reversal turn would have been possible using a bank angle of about 30 degrees. At the accident location, there was insufficient clearance from terrain to perform a course reversal. Investigators found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures during the examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain and his selection of a cruise altitude that provided inadequate terrain clearance. Contributing to the accident were the high density altitude and the rapidly rising terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/28/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1450 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Mount Charleston |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89124 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 361550N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1153925W |
| Event Location Airport | North Las Vegas |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | VGT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 26 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2205 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VGT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2205 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 39 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25194 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 28 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2009 4:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Las Vegas FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4063W |
| NTSB Number | LAX08FA203 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-40095 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 9 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3807 |
| Airframe Hours | 3807 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | American Underground Contractors, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 670 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Byron |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94514 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Erik W Nunn |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Oakley |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 94561 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | VGT |
| Departure City | North Las Vegas |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1432 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | C83 |
| Destination City | Byron |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2009 4:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |