Piper PA-20 accident near Ely, Nevada, October 20, 1985
On October 20, 1985 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N1403C, was destroyed in an accident near Ely, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. 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
- October 20, 1985 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ely, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N1403C · registry record · serial 22-1158
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CONSENSUS OF WITNESSES WAS THAT THE PLT & 2 PAX HAD BEEN AWAKE ALL OR MOST OF THE PREVIOUS NIGHT & HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES UNTIL AT LEAST 0100 PDT. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PLT WAS 'CUT OFF' FROM ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AT 0100, BUT THE 3 MEN REMAINED AT THE BAR UNTIL HE WENT OFF DUTY AT 0400. LATER, HE SAW THEM AT ANOTHER BAR AT ABOUT 1100,BUT COULD NOT RECALL IF THEY WERE DRINKING. AT ABOUT 1200, THE 3 TOOK OFF IN A PIPER PA-20 (PREVIOUSLY CONVERTED FROM A PA-22). THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, HE CONTD CLIMBING SOUTHBOUND FOR APRX 12 MI, THEN TURNED EAST TO CROSS OVERA MTN RANGE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED DOWNDRAFTS & BEGAN LOSING ALT. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A 180 DEG LEFT TURN AWAY FROM RISING TERRAIN, BUT THE ACFT SETTLED INTO TREES & CRASHED TO THE GND. REPORTEDLY, THERE WERE NO PREIMPACTMECHANICAL PROBLEMS. ALTHO SERIOUSLY INJURED, THE PLT WALKED FROM THE CRASH SITE. HE OBTAINED ASSISTANCE AT APRX 1840 & WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL. THE ACFT & OTHER OCCUPANTS WERE FND THE FOLLOWING MORNING DURING AN AIR SEARCH.
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: 1,500 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,539 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELY Ely NV at 7:00 pm
- Destination: DTA Delta UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; not recorded at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from ELY, 306 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
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 SEA86LA016.