Navion G accident near Gabbs, Nevada, July 23, 1997
On July 23, 1997 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Navion G, registered N2429T, was destroyed in an accident near Gabbs, Nevada. It was a business 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 attempted visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in his spatial disorientation and a loss of airplane control. A contributing factor was his overconfidence in his personal ability.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1997 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Gabbs, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Navion G
- Registration
- N2429T · registry record · serial NAV-4-2429
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot departed California on a business flight to a South Dakota destination. No flight plan was filed. Radar flight following service was terminated as the pilot approached the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and there were no further radar contacts or voice communications with the pilot. The pilot did not request any en route weather briefings from FAA flight service stations, and his route of flight over the mountains to the accident site was not determined. Instrument meteorological conditions including multiple cloud layers and rain showers existed in the vicinity of the accident site. Additionally, between 0830 and 0900, National Climatic Data Center visible and infrared spectrum satellite imagery revealed an area of rapidly developing cumulonimbus clouds at the site. On May 18, 1998, the wreckage was located scattered over a distance of 0.64 miles, about 26 miles south of the pilot's intended direct route of flight. The engine, wings, flaps, ailerons, elevators and empennage were found separated from the fuselage, along with a handheld GPS receiver. Acquaintances of the pilot reported he kept accurate flight records. The pilot's logbook contained several 'pilot-in-command' entries indicating that cross-country business flights had been performed in actual instrument weather conditions while navigating using a GPS receiver. No safety pilot or CFI was listed as accompanying the pilot during these flights. About 1.5 days prior to the accident the pilot was treated for a periodontal infection. An antibiotic and narcotic pain reliever was prescribed, and partially empty containers of these drugs were found in the wreckage. Insufficient specimens remained to perform an autopsy or toxicological tests.
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: 580 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 460 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 1997; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,315 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 1:55 pm
- Destination: ENV Wendover UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from TPH, 38 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.
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.