Gulfstream GIV - UNDESIGNAT incident near Las Vegas, Nevada, July 5, 2013
On July 5, 2013, a Gulfstream GIV - UNDESIGNAT, registered N0, was involved in an incident during approach (VFR go-around) near Las Vegas, Nevada (Las Vegas Mccarran Intl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) inadequate procedures, which did not require specific separation between aircraft operating on nonintersecting runways where flightpaths may intersect and led to an airborne conflict between two aircraft. Contributing to the incident was the FAA's failure to correct a known procedural deficiency that had previously caused repeated hazardous intersecting flightpath events.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2013
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Las Vegas Mccarran Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream GIV - UNDESIGNAT UNDESIGNAT
- Registration
- N0 · no longer on the register · serial 0000
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Boeing 737 (737) executing a go-around from runway 25L and a Gulfstream 4 that had just departed from runway 19R experienced an airborne conflict. When passing over runway 25L, the 737 pilot announced his intention to go around because the airplane was encountering a 20-knot tailwind. The tower controller responsible for runway 25L acknowledged the report, immediately advised the pilot of traffic "just lifting off" from runway 19R, and instructed the pilot to report the traffic in sight. The tower controller then instructed the pilot to fly the runway heading and climb to 7,000 ft. The pilot read back the clearance and reported the traffic in sight. The controller told the pilot to maintain visual separation from the traffic. The 737 subsequently completed another approach and landed. After the Gulfstream 4 departed, the tower controller responsible for runway 19R issued a traffic alert to the pilot, indicating that the 737 was "off your left going around off 25," and instructed the pilot to "stay low." The pilot responded that he had the 737 in sight. The controller transmitted, "maintain visual separation, he's climbing to 7,000, stay low." The pilot acknowledged the instruction. Fifteen seconds later, the Gulfstream pilot stated, "we're getting an RA [resolution advisory] we're climbing at this time." Review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar data showed that the minimum separation between the two aircraft following the RA was about 0.21 nautical mile laterally and 400 to 500 ft vertically. At the time of the incident, the FAA did not have procedures requiring specific separation between aircraft operating on nonintersecting runways where flightpaths may intersect despite the occurrence of several previous similar incidents. Following this incident and another similar incident, the FAA amended FAA Notice 7110.65, "Air Traffic Control," by adding paragraph 3-9-9, "Non-Intersecting Converging Runway Operations," which directed changes in converging runway operations to prevent similar reoccurrences.
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
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event during takeoff
- Air traffic event during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › ATC
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Culture › Safety › ATC
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: KLAS Las Vegas NV
- Destination: KLAS Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 111°F (44°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.57 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from LAS, 1 miles away
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.