Piper J3F-60 accident near Herlong, Nevada, October 15, 2022
On October 15, 2022 at about 2:05 am local time, a 1938 Piper J3F-60, registered N21486, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Herlong, Nevada (Dead Cow Lakebed Airstrip Us-0 airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate separation during a formation flight, which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence, an aerodynamic stall, and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2022 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Herlong, Nevada · Dead Cow Lakebed Airstrip Us-0 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3F-60, built 1938 · all J3F-60s on the register
- Registration
- N21486 · no longer on the register · serial 2342
- 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 flying in formation inbound for landing, during the base leg to final approach turn, the airplane in front of his slowed down too much and he had to maneuver to give the airplane room to land. During the maneuver, the accident airplane encountered the preceding airplane’s wake turbulence and subsequently entered a spin at about 100 ft above ground level. The pilot was able to recover from the spin and collided with the ground hard in a wings level attitude. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,045 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 3,924 as pilot in command; 131 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 26, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,132.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,170 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 4,105 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KRTS, 28 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRTS 150255Z AUTO 25003KT 10SM CLR 16/M07 A3004 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 30, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.