Piper PA 23-250 N54857

Summary

On 12 January 2018 at about 02:02 local time, a Piper PA 23-250 registered N54857, operated by Air America Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Elko, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 January 2018 at 02:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Elko, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

40.2314, -115.5333

Aircraft

Piper PA 23-250

Registration

N54857

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

2

Operator

Air America Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sacramento → Salt Lake City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR18FA073

1 person died.

The pilot's inadequate preflight weather planning, which resulted in the flight over mountainous terrain into forecast instrument meteorological conditions, icing, and mountain wave, and resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot departed on the cross-country flight in night visual meteorological conditions over mountainous terrain. About 3 hours after takeoff, the pilot reported to an air traffic controller that he was encountering clouds and was going to turn around to avoid icing conditions. The controller provided the pilot with information for the nearest airport, which was about 40 miles north. The pilot replied that it was "getting super turbulent" and that he was going to "head over" to the airport. Communication and radar contact with the airplane were lost shortly thereafter. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Radar and GPS data revealed that the airplane was flying east when it crossed less than 900 ft above the ridgeline of a high mountain peak and turned toward the downwind (or leeward) side of the ridge, where the airplane began to descend and its speed decayed. The accident site was found near the end of the radar track on the east side and near the summit of the peak, at an elevation about 10,090 ft mean sea level. Review of weather information indicated that the accident site was located in an area favorable for mountain wave conditions with downdrafts as strong as 1,200 ft per minute, and that icing conditions were likely present at the accident site at the time of the accident. It is likely that the downdrafts exceeded the airplane's climb capability and resulted in its descent into terrain. Although the pilot filed a visual flight rules flight plan, a search of multiple official weather briefing sources revealed that the pilot did not request an official weather briefing before the accident flight. The area of the accident site at the altitude at which the airplane was flying was included in AIRMET's for moderate icing and moderate turbulence. Additionally, winds aloft forecasts near the accident site indicated favorable wind conditions for the development of mountain wave; however, since the pilot did not obtain a weather briefing before the flight, it is likely that he was unaware of these weather conditions along his route, and the hazards that they posed to the flight.                    

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.