Piper 601P accident near Tonopah, Nevada, November 17, 1982
On November 17, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper 601P, registered N3642A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tonopah, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tonopah, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P
- Registration
- N3642A · no longer on the register · serial 61P-08288063
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE ACFT REACHED 15,500 FT, APRX 30 MI FROM THE DEP ARPT, THE PLT & PAX NOTED FUMES THAT IRRITATED THE EYES & CAUSED DIZZINESS & BREATHING DIFFICULTIES. THE PLT REVERSED COURSE, THEN ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERG LNDG ON A DIRT ROAD. DRG THE LNDG ROLL-OUT, THE LEFT WING STRUCK 1 OR MORE METAL POSTS. WHEN THE PLT & PAX EVACUATED THRU THE PLT'S DOOR, FLAMES WERE OBSVD EMINATING FORM THE AFT PORTION OF THE LFT WING & THE LFT MAIN TIRE & WHL WERE BURNING. THE FIRE HAD SELF-EXTINGUISHED PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF EMERG EQUIPMENT. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED SVRL BURNED ELEC WIRES UNDER THE LWR LFT INST PANEL. THE BURNED WIRES WERE CNCTD THE STROBE LGT, SFC DE-ICER & WINDSHIELD HEAT OR PROP DE-ICE SWS, AS WELL AS 3 UNUSED WIRES. THE SOURCE OF THE ELEC FIRE WAS NOT DTRMD. NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE BURNED WIRING IN THE COCKPIT AND THE FIRE ON THE LEFT WING & GEAR. A DENT WITH CHORDWISE GASHES WAS FOUND ON THE LEFT WING. FUEL STAINS SURROUNDED THE GASHES.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 258 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-P1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TPH Tonopah NV at 1:45 pm
- Destination: 004 Carson City NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 111°F (44°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from TPH, 25 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N3642A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.