Piper PA-24-400 accident near Winnemucca, Nevada, November 11, 1987
On November 11, 1987 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-400, registered N400TT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winnemucca, Nevada (Battle Creek Ranch airport). It was a business 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 11, 1987 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Winnemucca, Nevada · Battle Creek Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-400 · all PA-24-400s on the register
- Registration
- N400TT · no longer on the register · serial 26-30
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND CLOSE TO THE APPROACH END OF THE RWY. HE MADE THE APPROACH WITH FULL FLAPS AT 85 MPH THE RATE OF DESCENT BECAME EXCESSIVE AND BEFORE RECOVERY WAS AFFECTED THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE NEAR THE RWY THRESHOLD. THE ACC SITE WAS 4400 FT MSL WITH A DENSITY ALT OF 5500 FT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE 'DRAGGED' THE HEAVILY LOADED ACFT UNDER THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,902 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 3,892 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,030 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 31, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Rosa CA at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.