Cessna 340 N5158J
18 May 1994 · Elko, Nevada, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 18 May 1994 at about 22:51 local time, a Cessna 340 registered N5158J was involved in an accident near Elko, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:51
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Elko, Nevada, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.9509, -115.7907
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340
- Registration
- N5158J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Las Vegas → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW94FA165
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, HIGH (MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY) TERRAIN, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OBTAINED AN ABBREVIATED WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A FLIGHT FROM LAS VEGAS TO ELKO, NEVADA. HE WAS ADVISED OF MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, ICING & TURBULENCE, & WAS TOLD THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED & ACTIVATED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED LAS VEGAS AT 1414 PDT. THE LAST RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PLANE WAS AT 1545 PDT, ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTH OF ELKO. SEVERAL LOCAL RESIDENTS REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT THAT TIME. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED THE NEXT MORNING ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ELKO AIRPORT NEAR GRINDSTONE PEAK AT ABOUT 6000' MSL. AN EXAM OF THE AIRFRAME & ENGINE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. DURING A TOXICOLOGY TEST, 4.8 MG/KG OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE (AN ANTIHISTAMINE) WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S LIVER TISSUE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 340 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 1994 | Cessna 340A | Dunsmuir, California, United States | PAW Management | No injuries | - |
| 4 Mar 1994 | Cessna 340 | Westhampton, New York, United States | James Flying Service Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Feb 1993 | Cessna 340A | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | Omega Associates PA | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 1995 | Cessna 340 | Riverton, Wyoming, United States | American Check Transport, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 1995 | Cessna 340A | Mead, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Dec 1995 | Cessna 340A | San Dimas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 1994 | North American SNJ-5 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Same AS Registered Owner | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Sep 1994 | Cessna 182Q | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Stanley A. Lawless | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 May 1994 | Bell 206B | Overton, Nevada, United States | US Army Corps of Engineers | Unknown | - |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Indian Springs, Nevada, United States | United States Air Force | Unknown | - |
| 1 Nov 1994 | Cessna 421A | Sparks, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 1994 | Siai-Marchetti SF260C | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |