Piper PA-32-300 accident near Boulder City, Nevada, November 26, 1989
On November 26, 1989 at about 1:05 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N416CP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada (Boulder City airport). It was a personal flight 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 DID NOT ATTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DITCH AND THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 1989 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Boulder City, Nevada · Boulder City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N416CP · registry record · serial 32-40237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE MAKING AN APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY IN TWILIGHT CONDITIONS, HE WAS MORE FIXATED ON ALTITUDE, SPEED AND THE LOCATION OF THE THRESHOLD. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS MISALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY, AS THE RUNWAY IS ONLY EQUIPPED WITH THRESHOLD LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN BETWEEN THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS AND TRAVELED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND RAN INTO A DITCH.
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: 952 hours in all; 512 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,450 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EAN Wheatland WY at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 2,965 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 190° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.