What happened
On June 28, 2008, a Piper PA-32-300, registration N4063W, crashed into mountainous terrain in the Mount Charleston area of Nevada. The flight departed North Las Vegas Airport (VGT) at 14:32 for Byron Airport (C83) in California.
Shortly after departure, the pilot established communications with Nellis Departure, stating an intended altitude of 12,500 feet. During the climb, the pilot requested a heading change to 230 degrees. The air traffic controller noted the new heading would take the aircraft southwest of the mountain range, a warning to which the pilot acknowledged. Following the termination of radar services, the aircraft performed several turns, eventually heading toward a canyon area.
Witnesses in the valley observed the aircraft flying at low altitudes, with one witness noting the engine sounded as if it were at full throttle. Another witness, an experienced pilot, observed the aircraft flying at approximately 300 feet above ground level on a westbound heading. A third witness reported seeing the aircraft in a nose-high attitude, striking a tree, and subsequently hitting power lines before the aircraft struck the ground.
The impact occurred at an elevation of 7,660 feet on an uphill slope. The aircraft was destroyed by a post-impact fire. The pilot and three passengers sustained 4 fatal injuries, with causes of death attributed to blunt force trauma and thermal injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found the engine, though fire-damaged, showed no evidence of mechanical failure or foreign object ingestion prior to impact. The propeller exhibited various forms of damage, including s-bending and blade separation, consistent with the impact.
Performance analysis revealed that at the accident site, the calculated density altitude was approximately 11,000 feet. While the aircraft's service ceiling was 16,250 feet, the terrain surrounding the accident site rose to elevations between 10,000 and 11,918 feet. At the specific location of the crash, the canyon walls rose approximately 4,300 feet above the aircraft's position, exceeding the aircraft's climb capability at that altitude and density.
Findings
- The pilot's flight path led the aircraft into a canyon with rapidly rising terrain.
- The aircraft's climb performance was insufficient to clear the canyon rim at the high density altitude.
- At the time of the accident, the canyon width had narrowed to approximately 100 feet, leaving insufficient clearance for a course reversal maneuver.