Piper PA-28-180 accident near Silver Springs, Nevada, August 3, 2025
On August 3, 2025 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-28-180, registered N8359W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Silver Springs, Nevada. It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2025 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Silver Springs, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1965 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8359W · registry record · serial 28-2551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 3, 2025, at about 0730 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA28-180, N8359W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Stagecoach, Nevada. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The pilot departed Silver Springs Airport (SPZ) earlier in the morning for the solo flight. After completing 3 uneventful takeoffs and landings at Dayton Valley Airpark (A34), he began the return leg to Silver Springs. About 10 minutes after departure, at an altitude of about 7,500 ft msl (3,200 ft agl), the pilot experienced a loud bang followed by heavy airframe vibration. The engine was shaking violently and then lost all power. He could see a propeller was blade missing, so he prepared for an emergency landing by shutting off the fuel and trimming the airplane for best glide airspeed. He then set the transponder to 7700 and declared an emergency on the Dayton Valley and Silver Springs common traffic advisory frequency. The pilot chose a highway for landing, and the touchdown was uneventful. During the landing roll it became apparent that the rudder pedal system had been damaged, so the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane struck a median curb. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount during the accident sequence.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: A34 Dayton NV at 2:17 pm
- Destination: SPZ Silver Springs NV
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 am from KCXP, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCXP 031435Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 13/04 A3024 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.