Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, April 18, 1982
On April 18, 1982 at about 3:35 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N1092X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada (Mccarrin Inter'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1982 · about 3:35 am local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Mccarrin Inter'L
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1092X · registry record · serial 28R-7535230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE NIGHT LANDING, HE MAINTAINED A LITTLE MORE THAN NORMAL SPEED AND POWER SINCE THIS WAS HIS FIRST NIGHT LANDING AT THE MCCARRAN AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING, HEAVY LEFT RUDDER WAS NEEDED. HE STATED HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LEFT MAIN, KEPT THE NOSE UP, AND WHEN HE LOWERED THE NOSE, THE RIGHT WING WENT TO THE GROUND AND THE PROPELLER DROPPED TO THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND HIT A DITCH. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ALL 3 GEAR WERE FOUND IN THE GEAR WELLS, BUT THE MAIN GEAR DOORS WERE PARTIALLY OPENED. THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE LOCK-OUT FEATURE WAS NOT ENGAGED. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE GEAR SYSTEM, EXCEPT THAT THE WARNING HORN WAS INOPERATIVE. WHEN CHECKED, THE HORN HOUSING BECAME HOT AND EVENTUALLY DEACTIVATED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, WHICH IN TURN, DEACTIVATED THE GEAR POSITION LIGHTS. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL SEEING A SAFE GEAR INDICATION.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 96 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,375 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-CIC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Oxnard CA at 5:38 pm
- Destination: Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 5,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 95 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1092X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX82FVW03.