Piper PA 46-350P accident near Henderson, Nevada, March 19, 2025
On March 19, 2025 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2024 Piper PA 46-350P, registered N171M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Henderson, Nevada (Henderson Executive Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 directional control during the landing, in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2025 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Henderson, Nevada · Henderson Executive Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P, built 2024 · all PA 46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N171M · registry record · serial 4636841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, the airplane encountered a crosswind gust. The airplane drifted to the right about 10°, and while correcting with rudder the left main landing gear touched down. The airplane veered to the left, exited the runway, and struck a ditch, which substantially damaged the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 35L with wind from 300° at 14 knots, gusting 18 knots.
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 control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 959 hours in all; 195 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 733 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2024
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 48.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 4, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 4,358 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 50 hours total
- Operator: Elevated Holdings INC
The flight
- Departed from: LGB Long Beach CA at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35L, 6,501 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.48 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from KHND
Weather report (METAR): KHND 191756Z 03014G18KT 10SM CLR 12/M09 A3048 RMK AO2 SLP338 T01171094 10117 20061 50005 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 5, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N171M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA117.