Cessna 425 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, January 12, 1992
On January 12, 1992 at about 2:08 am local time, a Cessna 425, registered N425BN, was destroyed in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 7 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING AND TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS PRIOR TO FLIGHT, AND 2) REPORTED UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS, INCLUDING TURBULENCE, SNOW, RAIN, AND OBSCURATION AT FLIGHT ALTITUDES ALONG THE PILOT'S ROUTE OF FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1992 · about 2:08 am local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 425 · all 425s on the register
- Registration
- N425BN · no longer on the register · serial 425-0057
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NO RECORD COULD BE FOUND SHOWING THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. UNFAVORABLE WEATHER WAS IN THE VICINITY. SEVERAL TIMES THE PILOT HAD DIFFICULTIES UNDERSTANDING AND COMPLYING WITH INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLEARANCE DELIVERY, GROUND CONTROL, AND DEPARTURE CONTROL. AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE. DURING THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF FLIGHT RADAR RETURNS SHOWED THE AIRPLANE CHANGING HEADING FROM 45 DEGREES TO AS MUCH AS 180 DEGREES ABOUT 10 TIMES AND DESCENDING OR ASCENDING SEVERAL TIMES FROM ALTITUDES RANGING FROM 4,500 FEET MSL TO 11,500 FEET MSL. THE ALTITUDE AND HEADING CHANGES WERE NOT DIRECTED BY CONTROLLERS. ABOUT 3 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT DEPARTURE CONTROL ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD A PROBLEM. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE DID AND 'WE'RE TRYING TO GET STRAIGHT.' ONE MINUTE LATER, THE PILOT SAID 'WE'RE ALL RIGHT.' SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, RADAR DATA SHOWED A LOSS OF CONTROL. RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS WERE LOST AND AN ON GROUND EXPLOSION WAS OBSERVED AS THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AN FAA FLIGHT SURGEON REVIEWED THE PILOT'S MEDICAL RECORDS. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT HAD 3 PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND WAS TAKING 3 SEPARATE PRESCRIPTIONS WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED HIM FROM BEING MEDICALLY QUALIFIED TO PILOT AN AIRCRAFT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 11, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 8,600 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-112 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 1:55 am
- Destination: TOR Torrance CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from LAS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.