Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Soldier Meadows Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gerlach, Nevada 89412
Sunday, August 9, 2009 9:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that during takeoff on the hard dirt surface airstrip, the airplane did not reach 60 mph when he saw the end of the runway markers and he proceeded to shutdown the engine. To avoid a collision with a fence approximately 300 feet beyond the end of the runway, the pilot directed the airplane to the left, off the side of the runway into heavy vegetation. The fuselage, wing spars, and horizontal stabilator were substantially damaged during the excursion from the runway. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage at the airstrip and measured track marks leading up to the wreckage. The inspector reported that the takeoff roll began abeam the windsock, located about 300 feet from the beginning of the airstrip. Before the midfield point, tire tracks veered to the right into the grass and then continued parallel with, and adjacent to, the runway surface. About 2,790 feet from the windsock and 1,041 feet from the end of the runway, the airplane collided with a set of white-painted tires off the runway edge. The track then continued back to the left across the runway, into heavy brush and rough terrain. The inspector measured a maximum runway length of 4,131 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s delay in aborting the takeoff, resulting in a runway excursion.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/9/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 915 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gerlach |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89412 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412257N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1191011W |
| Event Location Airport | Soldier Meadows Ranch |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NV06 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4494 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 856 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KWMC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26942 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2010 3:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N32105 |
| NTSB Number | WPR09LA401 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7535025 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31 |
| Airframe Hours | 3085 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William Colins, Jerry Walker, Kenneth Whitham |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Clayton |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94517 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | William Colins, Jerry Walker, Kenneth Whitham |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Clayton |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 94517 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NV06 |
| Departure City | Gerlach |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Unknown |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2010 3:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 40 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |