Piper PA-32-300 N4081W
30 November 1993 · Fallon, Nevada, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 30 November 1993 at about 14:45 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N4081W, operated by Fallon Aeromotive, Inc., was involved in an accident near Fallon, Nevada, United States. 6 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fallon, Nevada, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.5001, -118.2901
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300
- Registration
- N4081W
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Fallon Aeromotive, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Dixie Valley
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA062
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Probable cause
the pilot's intentional continued flight into known adverse weather conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE COMPANY HOLDS A VFR ONLY 135 CERTIFICATE AND PERFORMS DAILY FLIGHTS TAKING WORKERS TO A MINE. BEFORE THE FLIGHT, NO WEATHER WAS OBTAINED FROM THE NWS OR FAA. THE WEATHER WAS CHECKED BY A CALL TO THE MINE AND BY LOOKING OUTSIDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONE OF THREE WHICH DEPARTED ON THE OUTBOUND AM TRIP. PILOTS OF THE OTHER TWO AIRCRAFT SAID THEY FOUND CEILINGS, MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT, AND SNOW SHOWERS EN ROUTE; THEY TURNED BACK, FLEW SOUTH ALONG THE MOUNTAINS, AND FOUND A CLEAR AREA TO CROSS. FOUR PASSENGERS FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT SAID THEY ENCOUNTERED LOWERING CLOUDS AND SNOW SHOWERS. THE PILOT TURNED AROUND, FLEW SOUTH FOR A WHILE, THEN TOWARD A MOUNTAIN RANGE SADDLE. AS THEY ENTERED THE SADDLE, THE CLOUDS BECAME LOWER AND THEY COULD NOT SEE OUTSIDE. THE PILOT TRIED TO CLIMB, BUT WHEN TREES BEGAN FLASHING PAST THE SIDE WINDOWS, HE PULLED THE POWER OFF AND LEVELED THE WINGS JUST BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TREES AND THE SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAINSIDE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Dec 1993 | Piper PA-32-300 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 1993 | Piper PA-32-300 | Truckee, California, United States | Baker, Raymond C. SR. | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Mar 1993 | Piper PA-32-260 | Riverton, Wyoming, United States | Karl T. Lieb | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Apr 1993 | Piper PA-32-300 | Danville, Arkansas, United States | Henderson, Paul J. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1993 | Piper PA-32-300 | Skagway, Alaska, United States | Skagway Air Service, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Jun 1993 | Piper PA-32-300 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | L.a.b. Flying Service | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1993 | Cessna 414 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Plane Wrap | Fatal | 2 |
| 19 Nov 1993 | De Havilland DHC-1B-2 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 Sep 1993 | Scaled Composites 158-8 | Lemmon Valley, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Dec 1993 | Bell 206B | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Gerald J. Shlesinger | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 1993 | Cessna 152 | Elko, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 May 1993 | Piper PA-34-200 | Jean, Nevada, United States | Air Desert Pacific | No injuries | - |