N733AA

On June 30, 1994, at 1425 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N733AA, collided with telephone wires and poles on takeoff from the Schurz, Nevada, airport. The aircraft was operated by Nevada Cal Aero of Reno, Nevada, and was rented by the pilot for a cross-country personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision sequence. The certificated private pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries; however, one passenger incurred serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident as a return flight to Reno, Nevada.

According to Sheriff's Department officers who responded to the accident site, the pilot stated in an interview that during the takeoff initial climb the aircraft encountered a windshear condition and descended into telephone wires and poles at the departure end of the runway. The responding sheriff's deputies stated that the outside air temperature was about 95 degrees and that the winds were variable and gusty.

The passenger seated in the right front seat holds an airline transport pilot certificate and is an airline pilot. The witness reported that he did not observe a windsock on the airstrip and they had to gauge the wind conditions before takeoff by looking at the trees around the airport. He estimated that the winds were from 310 degrees at 10 knots with higher gusts to over 20 knots. Both he and the pilot stated in separate interviews that the takeoff was normal until the aircraft achieved about 100 feet agl. At that point, the aircraft encountered a "very turbulent boundary layer" and the airspeed indicator "instantaneously went from 80 to 30 knots and the stall horn came on continuously." Both of the pilots stated that they could not recover the airspeed and the aircraft descended to impact with a telephone pole and wire at the north airport boundary.