Piper PA 28-180 N5277L

Summary

On 3 August 1991 at about 03:33 local time, a Piper PA 28-180 registered N5277L, operated by Squadron 2, was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 1991 at 03:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno (RNO)

Coordinates

39.4793, -119.7410

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-180

Registration

N5277L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Squadron 2

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oakland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91FA342

3 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED BY EMPLOYING AN EXCESSIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB DURING A GO-AROUND RESULTING IN AN AERODYNAMIC STALL AND SUBSEQUENT INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S POOR APPROACH PLANNING, COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND A HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A PIPER PA 28-180 COLLIDED WITH PORTABLE BUILDINGS ON THE AIRPORT AFTER AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING PROBLEMS RECEIVING RADIO TRANSMISSIONS. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND ON THE RWY MOST INTO THE WIND. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED PAST THE ACTIVE RWY AND APPROACHED A PERPENDICULAR RWY RESULTING IN A QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE OVERSHOT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE OF THE PERPENDICULAR RWY AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING THE GO-AROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE NOT GAINING ALTITUDE AND AT A SLOW AIRSPEED. THE WITNESSES ALSO INDICATED THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE APPEARED NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE THEN TURNED RIGHT, INTO A QUARTERING HEADWIND, STALLED, AND DESCENDED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE WIND VELOCITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 13 KTS. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS COMPUTED TO BE ABOUT 7,500 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE PIPER PA 28-180, THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF A 375 FOOT PER MINUTE RATE OF CLIMB.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.