Cessna 340 accident near Elko, Nevada, May 18, 1994
On May 18, 1994 at about 10:51 pm local time, a Cessna 340, registered N5158J, was destroyed in an accident near Elko, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, HIGH (MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY) TERRAIN, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 1994 · about 10:51 pm local time
- Place
- Elko, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N5158J · registry record · serial 340-0548
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OBTAINED AN ABBREVIATED WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A FLIGHT FROM LAS VEGAS TO ELKO, NEVADA. HE WAS ADVISED OF MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, ICING & TURBULENCE, & WAS TOLD THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED & ACTIVATED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED LAS VEGAS AT 1414 PDT. THE LAST RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PLANE WAS AT 1545 PDT, ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTH OF ELKO. SEVERAL LOCAL RESIDENTS REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT THAT TIME. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED THE NEXT MORNING ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ELKO AIRPORT NEAR GRINDSTONE PEAK AT ABOUT 6000' MSL. AN EXAM OF THE AIRFRAME & ENGINE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. DURING A TOXICOLOGY TEST, 4.8 MG/KG OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE (AN ANTIHISTAMINE) WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S LIVER TISSUE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,864 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,769 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1993; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,975 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-J (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 9:14 pm
- Destination: EKO NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.