Douglas A4L accident near Fallon, Nevada, July 8, 2010
On July 8, 2010 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Douglas A4L, registered N132AT, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fallon, Nevada (Fallon Nas airport). It was a public-use flight (federal) under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power during takeoff due to the failure of the engine's stator and turbine. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2010 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fallon, Nevada · Fallon Nas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas A4L · all A4Ls on the register
- Registration
- N132AT · registry record · serial 12374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (federal) · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he entered a right-hand climbing turn after departure and the engine experienced a loss of thrust. The pilot reversed direction and attempted to land on the runway in the opposite direction, but the airplane was too low and slow to make it back to the runway. He elected to steer the airplane in the direction of an empty field and successfully ejected. The operator reported that their postaccident examination of the engine determined that the protective coating on the turbine blades and stators had degraded. This degradation led to the eventual failure of the stator vanes and then the turbine blades. They could not establish the exact reason for the degradation of the protective coating.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,152 hours in all; 1,405 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 4,682 as pilot in command; 1,823 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,926 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2010; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 22,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Curtis Wright J-65-20 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Airborne Tactical Advantage Co
The flight
- Departed from: NFL Fallon NV at 8:40 pm
- Destination: NFL Fallon NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31R, 11,079 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:44 pm from KNFL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.