Piper PA-18-150 N2333J

Summary

On 31 August 2005 at about 16:50 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N2333J was involved in an accident near Mountain City, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 2005 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Mountain City, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

41.7667, -115.3167

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N2333J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackpot → Davis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05LA324

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering in mountainous terrain, which led to a stall and impact with trees and terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted trees and terrain while presumably maneuvering toward a rapidly rising mountain ridgeline. The pilot was last seen refueling his airplane at the departure airport. After failing to arrive at his intended destination, an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued and search efforts were initiated. There were no air traffic control services rendered to the pilot and no radar data was available for the accident flight. The wreckage was located almost 2 months after the accident, with the pilot and passenger still on board. The airplane came to rest at the base of a stand of trees following a nose down, near vertical descent profile, which resulted in the aft crushing of the cockpit/cabin area. A pine tree, measuring about 8 inches in circumference, was located underneath and adjacent to the wreckage, and was cut into 36-inch logs, indicating an operative engine/rotating propeller. Plotting of the accident site on a topographic map indicated that the wreckage was located about 400 feet below a 9,000- to 9,300-foot ridgeline. The wreckage came to rest below a small gap in the rapidly rising ridgeline. A valley led to the rising ridge, and from the valley to the accident site, the average grade was 22 percent. From the accident site to the top of the ridge was an average grade of 20 percent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.