Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, October 1, 1989
On October 1, 1989 at about 9:03 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N3782T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE AND DISTANCE TO THE RUNWAY, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, AND FAILED TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT OR FLARE THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1989 · about 9:03 am local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3782T · no longer on the register · serial 28R-30095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LANDING AT NIGHT, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN 28 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED & THE PLANE SLID ONTO THE RUNWAY. PROPELLER STRIKES WERE FOUND IN THE AREA OF WHERE THE GEAR COLLAPSE. THE AIRPLANE WAS ABANDONED & THE PILOT WAS NOT LOCATED. THE OWNER REPORTED THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN STOLEN.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: VGT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,005 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:50 am from LAS, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.