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N54857 accident description

Nevada map... Nevada list
Crash location 40.398889°N, 115.419723°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect.
Nearest city Elko, NV
40.832421°N, 115.763123°W
35.0 miles away
Tail number N54857
Accident date 11 Jan 2018
Aircraft type Piper Pa 23-250
Additional details: None

NTSB Factual Report

On January 11, 2018, about 1800 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-23-250, twin engine airplane, N54857, collided with mountainous terrain about 42 miles south of Elko, Nevada. The commercial pilot was the sole person on board and was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Mach Tuck, LLC, and operated by Air America Flight Center, LLC., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a cross-country positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed about 1500 from McClellan Airfield (MCC), Sacramento, California and had a destination of Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to preliminary Air Traffic Control (ATC) information, the pilot reported that he was encountering clouds and was asked by the controller if he would like information on nearby airports. The pilot asked for the nearest airport and that he would "head over there." Directions and information on Elko Regional Airport (EKO), Elko, Nevada were provided to the pilot. He replied, "Alright, I'm getting super turbulent over here I'm going to head over there." Shortly after, communication and radar contact were lost.

Review of preliminary radar data revealed a primary target, consistent with the accident airplane, traveling on an eastbound heading at an altitude of about 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The target continued eastbound over Pearl Peak's with a summit of 10,848 ft msl, and dropped off from radar shortly after.

After an initial search for the airplane at local airports was unsuccessful, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notification (ALNOT) for the airplane. Search and rescue efforts ensued, and on January 19, 2018, wreckage was identified from aerial photography on the east face of Pearl Peak near it's summit. An onsite examination by ground personnel identified the wreckage as the accident airplane.

The nearest weather reporting station was EKO, about 42 miles north of the accident site. According to recorded information, the winds were 030 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles or greater, few clouds at 9,000 ft above ground level, temperature 5° C, dew point -1° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.12 inches of mercury.

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