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Debris from the Piper Lance model PA-32RT-300 aircraft litters the street after it crashed on Morning Mauve Avenue at 8:15 a.m. Monday, September 6.
By Rich Coleman, Tim Richardson 
Published Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 | 9:43 a.m.
Updated Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 | 10:03 p.m.
Associated Press: Raw crash video
Plane crash
Federal investigators were working late Monday to determine what caused a small aircraft to crash into a south valley neighborhood, killing one person and badly injuring three others.
The crash was reported about 8:15 a.m. on Morning Mauve Avenue, which is a residential street southeast of Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Bermuda Road. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane took off from Henderson Executive Airport and was unable to gain altitude.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration arrived at the scene Monday afternoon to determine what caused the plane to go down.
Joshua Cawthra, an aviation accident investigator with the NTSB, flew to Southern Nevada from Washington state. He said investigators will sift through the wreckage in search of clues while also looking into the histories of the aircraft and the pilot.
"I really want to reinstate some normal life here because I know it's pretty tragic," he said Monday evening. "It's going to be a long few days."
Cawthra said a preliminary report on the crash would be available in about five days, although the full investigation could take six months or a year to complete.
Authorities didn't know the destination of the aircraft or the hometowns of the four occupants, but said luggage was inside the aircraft. Cawthra said the plane, which had room for six people, arrived at the Henderson airport Thursday.
The aircraft was registered to a Louisiana resident.
Metro Police Lt. Joe Ojeda, with the police air support search and rescue team, said the aircraft was a Piper Lance model PA-32RT-300. It crashed about three miles from the airport.
"It was taking off routinely and all of the sudden lost power," he said. "It appears from the trajectory that it attempted to land on the street."
A man -- one of two people sitting in the plane’s front seats -- was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Siena Campus, where he died. The other passengers were taken to University Medical Center with extensive traumatic injuries and burns, Ojeda said.
Hospital spokeswoman Danita Cohen said Monday that two were listed in serious condition and one in critical condition.
A crane and flatbed truck arrive at the scene around 6 p.m. Monday to begin cleaning up debris on Morning Mauve Avenue. The wreckage will be taken to a secure location where the National Transportation Safety Board will continue its investigation.
The occupants of the plane were two men and two women in their late 30s to mid 40s, he said. No one on the ground was injured.
The pilot didn't make a distress call before the crash. No flight plan was filed, which isn't out of the ordinary in sunny weather conditions like this morning, authorities said.
"When engines fail on aircraft you only have a few seconds to respond," Ojeda said. "It appeared the way the aircraft was lined up that he did try to land on the road itself. On first blush it looks like he did try to do some kind of evasive maneuver to get down as safely as he could."
Ojeda said the plane struck two retaining walls, a streetlight pole and a tree before landing in the street. The impact of the crash "gouged" the road, he said. No houses were hit.
Ojeda praised neighbors for their responses before emergency crews arrived.
"The local people here in the neighborhood did a phenomenal job," he said. "They grabbed hoses and small fire extinguishers and they basically had the fire put out."
He said residents also pulled two occupants from the burning wreckage before firefighters arrived. The two were conscious at the time, he said.
Eric Poleski, a battalion chief with the Clark County Fire Department, described the scene as "chaotic" when the first firefighters arrived. He said two occupants had been pulled from the aircraft, while two others remained inside. He described their injuries as "quite significant."
Poleski said debris from the aircraft was scattered across the residential area.
"There's not much left of the aircraft other than the main fuselage," he said. "The wings and most of the tail assembly are in pieces and debris is scattered throughout the streets. The efforts of people with fire extinguishers and neighbors with hoses I'm sure helped prevent further injury, burn injuries specifically, to the people in the aircraft."
Courtney Downs, 16, said she heard the crash and saw passengers in the aircraft being rescued by neighbors.
"I felt (the house) shake this morning," she said. "I heard fire crackling, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, it's probably a car crash or something.' I heard a woman shrieking and there was a woman and man running out of the plane and heaved onto my lawn, burned up and bruised."
Neighbors watch as workers clean up Morning Mauve Avenue. When the plane crashed at 8:15 a.m., some neighbors helped extinguish the fire using water hoses and fire extinguishers from their homes.
Downs said the two people weren't on fire, but had cuts and other injuries. She looked at the plane and saw one person's leg, then realized not everyone had been rescued at that point.
"There were 11 or 12 men putting out the fire in the plane with fire extinguishers, hoses, whatever they could find," she said. "I think it's really amazing that a whole bunch of people came out and helped them. It was a really selfless act."
Wayne Hooper, 62, said he heard the crash and saw smoke. He saw neighbors working to extinguish the fire as firefighters began working to free the last two people from the wreckage.
Dino Mavroudis, who lives a block away on Salzburg Avenue, said he heard the plane crash and saw emergency crews responding to the scene moments later.
"It was just a boom," he said. "It shook the house."
The names of the victims weren't being released Monday. Residential roads in the area were closed into the evening.
Crews late Monday used a crane to load the wreckage onto a flatbed truck. The pieces were taken to a secure location, where investigators will work to determine what caused the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I hope and pray the injured will recover quickly and my condolences to the family who lost there loved one.
The good people in that neighborhood did a heroic job attempting to save those on the plane. They fought the fires and provided first aid to the injured before any professionals showed up. They deserve recognition for their efforts.
I want to say thanks to the people of the neighborhood who went to the rescue and saved the lives of my loved ones. Two of the three survivors are my relatives. This was not a scenic flight!! They were on there way home to their 2 year old and 5 year old children in Louisiana after a vacation to Las Vegas!!! Again, I cannot express my sincere thanks to the residents of area!!!
I love how people jump to conclusions...(fonzie) and ASSUME they were doing a scenic flight and calling them selfish!
Good job, Fonzie! It does not matter if it was a scenic flight, or a tour bus. Mechanical problems happen. A human being died. Your keyboard needs to be taken away. ssavoy, we wish your family the best and hope they recover.
ssavoy, my family will keep your family in our prayers.
Why would 3 or 4 people living in Louisiana travel to Las Vegas Nevada in a 4 seat Piper? It's a lot more economical to take a Honda Accord along the trip instead. Because typically a Piper is already a very old plane from the 1960s like a Bonanza or an old Cessna. The cost of maintenance alone is prohibitively expensive, you can buy several Accords brand new with the money you spend on the maintenance & fuel and storage fees.
More than likely corrosion had something to do with this crash. The airplane probably lives its life sitting on the tarmac in Louisiana where it is hot and humid. There could have been hidden corrosion inside the fuselage. Chances are good that the control cables for the wings got snagged up. I would assume that a "knot" developed on one of the control cables and a pulley that controls the "elevator" or "rudder". That's why the pilot lost control. Either that or it was a classic mistake of forgetting to "Open" the fuel valve before taking off. Or they might have forgotten to unlock the elevator and aileron controls before takeoff. There isn't enough information. They never said if the engine had stalled. But if the engine did stall then chances are there was a clog on the fuel tank vent; as fuel was being burned there was negative pressure inside the tank. Finally the tank sucked all the fuel back into the tank through the fuel line starving the carburetor of fuel. This is very possible. The fuel they use now is 100LL meaning 100 octane low lead. There is still lead in the gas because many of these older airplanes with certain valve seats are still being used which require the lead. Even though it is harmful to the environment.
I like flying but a lot of these small aircraft are poorly maintained. On my first flight up in the air I was in a Cessna 172 and the ignition switch fell out when I took the key out. We were trying to start it and hadn't even left the parking lot yet. It was already old with a lot of flight hours logged on it already. Kind of like driving an old taxi cab with over a quarter million miles on the clock.
Some of these small craft in general aviation have cracks on the propellers and propellers are very expensive so the owners continue using them even though they are not safe.
@avitech You seem to be highly knowledgable about aircraft, your insight is priceless. However, you don't really have any knowledge of the occupants of the aircraft do you? How do you know that they DON'T own several small cars that would have been more economical? Why would you jump to the conclusion that the plane was poorly maintenanced or rarely used? Maybe the owner used this plane to commute to and from work on a daily basis and it was in tip-top shape. While your knowledge is a wonderful thing, the fact that you believe you should be commenting on the economics of the flight, the maintenance of the plane, or the state of mind of these people is out of line. Send your condolences, share your knowledge, and STAY OUT of their personal life.
My prayers are with the loved ones of these people, and the survivors. MANY THANKS to the wonderful people in that neighborhood that showed heroism and compassion to these folks. Proving that there are MANY residents in the Valley with a heart!
hey avitech, please dont question why these fine people chose to fly to las Vegas. I'm sure if successful, the experience would have been incredible. people take risks everyday.
This was an experienced pilot who'd flown this plane many, many times. I don't think he lost control, as put it down on a street. I thank everyone who aided these people. This man was not a hot shot risk taker. He was taking his wife on a trip because this month is a hard month for her. Her Iraq veteran son died one year ago in a car accident in CA when he was on leave. I believe he saved his passengers and the residents of the neighborhood did too. They're all regular hard working Joes, & I bet the neighbors are too. If you knew how hard he worked to put himself through university & how many hours he's worked building up a list of clients. If you only knew how hard he worked for those clients, what a good, decent man he was. I pray the others are able to return home soon. I sure wish he'd survived 'cause we're gonna miss him. Thanks for the comments of support. Please pray for the recovery of the others. Thank you to all who have worked to save these people.
@ Mollymguire God Bless you and the others that these people came to see. My prayers will be for each and everyone of you, and also for the Iraq vet whom they so tragically lost last year. Not only for those in the plane.
If the pilot survived, which the above story seems to be saying, ensure that he knows some of us think he is a hero for the job he did in attempting to make a safe landing. Also, he landed as well as he could, on a street and ensuring that he did not crash into nearby homes thus endangering those on the ground. GOOD JOB!!! Seems he clearly kept his head together to get the best possible outcome from a very bad situation...
The neighbors should definitely be commended, as should the pilot for doing everything in his power to avoid people on the ground. These people saved 3 out 4 lives, you just don't get those type of odds in a single engine airplane crash.
On another note...I don't and will never fly in aircraft with one engine including helicopters. I even try to stay away from propeller planes if at all possible. But that's just me...maybe it's a great ride and adventure to others. RIP to the male who passed.
The family and relatives and all of those involved in this collision will be in our hearts and prayers. This was such a tragic accident indeed. I pray that in good time god will mend the hearts of those still alive to grieve. I am sorry to say that some of the relatives don't even know that there had been a death in the family yet because this accident had just happened. I pray to God that when the receive the news that they may have the holy ghost present and they will have the strength to bear the pain. I pray they will be comforted by Jesus Christ. Amen.
A couple that I work with, live on the street the plane landed on. I've not been able to reach them at this point but I was glad to know everyone on the ground was unharmed. My prayers go out to the pilot and the three survivers including their families. No disrespect to anyone, but small planes crashes are very common world wide and in most cases, it is pilot error or lack of proper maintanance. As the individual stated above, it is to open everyone eyes as to the costs of flying these old small planes and it puts so many people at risk. The FAA needs to inspect all the privatly owned planes and ground them. In general, if you can't afford to maintain your aircraft, then sell it. We don't yet know what caused the crash until the NTSB investigation is completed but flying is much more fun then driving and it's sad that something as fun can end in such tragaty.
One of the couples from this plane are my best friends. I pray for the people that have nothing but bad to say about them being that far away from their families on vacation. They didn't just fly straight through to Las Vegas so for Avitech, please don't comment on what you don't know about. Thanks to everyone for ya'll prayers cause we are needing them. God Bless!
In my above comment, I thought the pilot had survived this tragic accident. From some of the updates I have been seeing, it seems that is not so. I still maintain that he is/was a hero for the outstanding job he did in getting this plane on the ground. The loss of life was minimal considering how these things usually turn out, and for no homes or bystanders to be harmed is a miracle...
I have never seen a Lance with less than 6 Seats.
This is the reason people are discouraged from building on the takeoff and approach areas around airports.
This Pilot did a good job in not hitting crowds or homes.
Never assume a plane crash incident, all of you were not in the cockpit at the time. It's tough when their is something you overlooked on the ground or when something happens in flight. As everything is racing in your mind before impact, if , what, but if only, maybe, I don't know but here we go. Aircraft are safe and reliable, even old aircraft they fly everyday at some place and time, they were built to fly not built to crash. Experience as a pilot is golden, a good pilot is a safe and responsible pilot as I saw today personally at that neighborhood street, That pilot was controlling that aircraft until he ran out of airspeed and avoided hitting everyone on the ground. A neighborhood is full of obstacles and is not an airstrip by far. I have flown with pilots that can land in a tight space like that but they have thousands and thousands of hours. Air Density is a common factor here in Vegas with the high temperatures it affects lift especially on fully loaded aircraft after takeoff and is very dangerous if it is not calculated in. I managed a Grand Canyon tour fleet here in Vegas and they effects of this are extremely noticeable. It takes forever to gain altitude even at full throttle, this could of played a factor but then again I was not flying that aircraft and do not know all the things that lead up to the crash that will be found through NTSB.
I absolutely believe that this pilot was a hero. My heart goes out to his wife and his family. I will always be greatful to him.
Comment removed by moderator. Off topic.
Comment removed by moderator. Off topic.
Its tought to land a plane when you have a failure in the air and not enough altitude. You practice stalls,touch and goes and alot more.This pilot had it together,he was trying to land on a street where there is tel. pole, wire and cars. This could have been real bad if he landed on alot of homes.
My thank to the pilot(RIP) and neighbors for there help.
All signs point to an engine failure and the pilot trying to land on the road. Once the engine quits and being low to the ground doesn't give pilot alot of time to pick a place to set it down.The fact that three people lived says alot about the skill of the pilot.
Avitech, you're not only an insensitive human being, you're an ignorant, self-absorbed person. I suspect that you've been a ramp rat at an airport and that gives you a feeling of all knowing self importance.
Flying General Aviation aircraft (all aviation except the airlines and the military) is five times safer than driving to the airport, and even safer, statistically, than driving to Las Vegas from Louisiana.
This particular aircraft model is one of, if not the most stable and weight capable of its category, class and type ever built. One of Piper's first advertisements for this model showed a piano being loaded into the aircraft to demonstrate its ability. This airplane is absolutely phenomenal on instrument approaches, and is probably the most stable of the almost one hundred makes/models that I have flown.
Privately owned aircraft are required to have an annual inspection. Aircraft that are rented require the same inspection every one hundred hours. These inspections are preformed by an FAA certified inspector. These inspections are so thorough and exhaustive that it is a rare thing for anything to be missed and inspectors are held to a very high standard. Aircraft, unlike automobiles, can stay in service indefinitely. They do not "age out" if they are maintained in accordance with FAA regulations. There are complete engine overhauls mandated at a the engine manufacturer's limit of hours in use. Propellers are magnifluxed. Replacement of engine and airframe parts are required by technical service orders and airworthiness directives. And I would guess Avitech, that there are hundreds of military aircraft still in service that are much older than your father, perhaps your grandfather.
Looking at the high quality of the exterior paint, the cleanliness of the engine compartment and shine on the plug wires, it appears that this aircraft was more than reasonably maintained.
The pilot of this aircraft made an herculean effort to land his stricken aircraft safely in an impossible situation. He did his best, and from my perspective, his best was as good as was humanly possible. His decision to depart Henderson at nine in the morning to avoid the effect of a higher density altitude later in the day was prudent and well within the normal limitations of the aircraft.
One of my first considerations would be fuel contamination. This can happen if a fuel truck isn't kept full overnight. Water condensation that develops can be transferred during the refueling of the aircraft. It can also happen if jet fuel is mistakenly pumped from a truck into aircraft with a reciprocating engine.
We would all be better served if criticism and caustic remarks were redirected to the number of fatal automobile accidents that happen almost daily on the roads and highways of Greater Las Vegas that go all but unnoticed.
SusanKH - what's wrong with being a ramp rat?
I wish to thank and wish our folks in Nevada for brave hearts to help to all the help they could do to help save the the live's. just one thing that I wound like to get off my chest is I was out of Country four tours, when I came home it was not like the welcome these fine boys are getting today , and they should so when you see an old man maybe wearing his VFW pin just say hello it means so much , god bless to the family that lost there loved ones and god bless the to ones that help save to others.
Amazing he missed the houses.
Avitech tries his hand at Tuesday morning Quarterbacking with, "Why would 3 or 4 people living in Louisiana travel to Las Vegas Nevada in a 4 seat Piper? It's a lot more economical to take a Honda Accord along the trip instead. Because typically a Piper is already a very old plane from the 1960s like a Bonanza or an old Cessna. The cost of maintenance alone is prohibitively expensive, you can buy several Accords brand new with the money you spend on the maintenance & fuel and storage fees."
Who cares? Kind of a silly premise. I drive daily locally (not to mention cross-country) in a 40 year old European sports car. I'm sure a Prius would be, uh, "safer" and "more economical" but that wouldn't be the point, now would it?
Nice work on the part of the neighbors. Glad not everyone in Southern Nevada is an angry hater, as it sometimes seems when reading comments here. Best wishes for recovery to the victims.
How sad that these visitors' weekend had to end in tragedy. Why is it an issue the type of plane they flew in, or where they flew in? My condolences to the families and may the survivors recover quickly.
Just like some people like to drive, or ride motorcycles, some people like to fly.
Control cable malfunctions are rare, unless the plane was recently serviced, occasionally a wiring harness may bind on the yoke mechanism. This is a situation where loss of power is evident. Fuel problem, or maybe carb or induction system icing with can occur if ambient temps were around 70 degrees.
If they were local flying a flight plane wouldn't be filed, going back to Louisiana they would. Might have been over-loaded.
Old planes are inspected and updated, no problem.
Never try to turn back to airport if losing power on takeoff in a powered plan.
mred: Your sentences don't make sense.
Our house is almost directly in line with the runway by about 3 miles & a few streets North east over from the crash site at Silverado Ranch. Our 1st clue that something was up, was seeing the helis flying around our house over & over.
Both my son & I fly out of Henderson with a friend who owns a plane there. This is a tragedy to hear about this plane going down.
I'm thankful that the pilot averted hitting anyone on the ground. Condolences to his family & we wish the passengers a speedy recovery.
In a town where you hear a lot of people say, "there's no community" well done all those who sprang into action. You are to be commended.
I'm still going to get my pilots license one of these days, the only difference is, if I ever get to own a plane...I will install a parachute. I seriously think the FAA should make them mandatory on all small aircraft.
With my scant knowledge of planes, I have been reading up to learn as much as I can. I just read a section about taking off & leaving the carb heater on (the day before this accident). The article talks about how this can seriously handicap a plane from gaining altitude. I will be waiting for the crash report as I imagine everyone else will. Man this is sad....
God Bless
There is a high number of plane crashes in neighborhoods in this town. Someone should research the safety of neighborhoods and routes of planes.