Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Truckee-Tahoe Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Truckee, California 96161
Monday, March 3, 2014 10:32 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On March 3, 2014, at 1032 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA 46 350P, N9281F, collided with terrain approximately 5 miles east of the Truckee-Tahoe Airport, Truckee, California. The commercial pilot was seriously injured, and the single passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the commercial pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. The airplane's left wing was separated from the fuselage resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. Marginal visual flight rules (MVFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The flight originated at John Wayne-Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California, about 0800.
The pilot was in communications with Oakland Center while on the GPS-A approach into Truckee-Tahoe Airport. Upon completion of the instrument approach the pilot executed a missed approach and proceeded to fly in an easterly direction not consistent with the published missed approach procedures. Oakland Center lost radar contact and radio communications with the airplane and pilot. The airplane wreckage was located about an hour later in the mountain range east of the airport at an elevation of 8,000 feet mean sea level (msl).
The Truckee-Tahoe Airport Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS-3) reported at 0950 that the wind was from 180 degrees at 7 knots; visibility was 9 statute miles, and an overcast cloud layer was at 3,000 feet above ground level (agl). At 1050, the reported weather conditions were wind from 300 degrees at 5 knots; 6 miles visibility in light rain, and an overcast cloud layer at 2,200 feet agl.
The published minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the Truckee-Tahoe GPS-A approach is 8,200 feet mean sea level (2,300 feet agl).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1032 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Truckee |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96161 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 391943N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1201206W |
| Event Location Airport | Truckee-Tahoe |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KTRK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 5901 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1050 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTRK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5901 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KTRK 031850Z 30005KT 6SM -RA OVC022 04/01 A3011 RM |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2014 6:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9281F |
| NTSB Number | WPR14FA127 |
| 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 46 350P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4636095 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4299 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 6 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 1 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 1858 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FARNELL R RICHARD TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TAHOE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 961457633 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | FARNELL R RICHARD TRUSTEE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | TAHOE CITY |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 961457633 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KSNA |
| Departure City | Santa Ana |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KTRK |
| Destination City | Truckee |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2014 6:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 10 |
| Runway Length | 7000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |