Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ely, Nevada 89301
Saturday, December 15, 2012 10:00 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On December 15, 2012, about 1000 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-31T1 Cheyenne, N93CN, was substantially damaged during an in-flight breakup near Ely, Nevada. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country personal flight departed the Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, Arizona, about 0818, with a planned destination of the Portland-Troudale Airport, Portland, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area surrounding the accident site, and the flight was operating on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.
Preliminary radar and voice communication data provided by the FAA revealed the airplane departed Mesa and continued on a northerly track for about 30 minutes. The airplane then turned to northwesterly direction (around a bearing of 335 degrees magnetic) and remained at the cruise altitude of 24,000 feet mean sea level. At 0937, the airplane’s heading turned to about 320 degrees and oscillated around that bearing until the last several radar returns indicated the airplane began a descending turn to the right, with a final radar target recorded at 1000. During the last approximate 30 seconds the airplane descended from cruise altitude to 14,500 feet msl, which was the last recorded altitude. The pilot’s last radio transmission was a request for a frequency change.
The accident site was located in a canyon in the Schell Creek mountain range about 17 nautical miles (nm) southeast of Ely. The main wreckage was located at an estimated 39 degrees 05.233 minutes north latitude and 114 degrees 35.017 minutes west longitude, at an elevation of about 6,850 feet msl. The distance from Mesa (departure city) and Portland (destination city) is about 875 nm on a bearing of about 317 degrees.
The wreckage debris was scattered over an estimated 1,500-foot area of hilly terrain. At the far south parameter of the debris field was the main wreckage, with the far north area containing sections of tail skin panels. The main wreckage, which consisted of the cabin, right wing, inboard left wing, both engines, empennage, and a portion of the vertical stabilizer, came to rest inverted on a heading of 284 degrees.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/15/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Ely |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89301 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 390514N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1143501W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 953 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KELY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6259 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| 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) | -5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| 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) | 29.85 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | LAX ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2013 2:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N93CN |
| NTSB Number | WPR13FA070 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31T1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31T-8004029 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NOTHMAN JERRY CO TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PORTLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97201-6622 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | JERRY NOTHMAN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PORTLAND |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 97201-6622 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FFZ |
| Departure City | Mesa |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 818 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TTD |
| Destination City | Portland |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2013 1:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |