# Accident 19990731018299A: Piper PA28180, Edgewood, NM, July 31, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 31, 1999, 08:20 local time - Place: Edgewood, NM - Airport: Sandia Airpark Estates Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0801° N, 106.1707° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0801&lon=-106.1707&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7521W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7521W-2004-05-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180 - Reported engine: LYC O360A2A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 121 total, 5 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA132) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990731018299A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON JULY 31, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 0820 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N7521W, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH AN OBJECT AND TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF FROM SANDIA AIRPARK ESTATES EAST, EDGEWOOD, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT'S DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 27, WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR IMPACTED RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LANDING GEAR THEN STRUCK A BERM. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TOWARDS THE NORTH INTO A FIELD, SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, FIREWALL, AND LANDING GEAR. (-23) ON JULY 31, 1999, AM APPROX. 0815 AM MDT, A PIPER, PA-28-180, N7521W, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED WHEN IT STRUCK A BERM ON TAKEOFF AT THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 27 AT SANDIA AIRPARK ESTATES EAST, ESGEWOOD, NM. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 150 FEET WEST OF THE BERM WHICH IS LOCATED 40 FEET WEST O F THE END OF THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER ROTATED DURING TAKEOFF AND SETTLED BACK TO THE RUNWAY THEN VEERED OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS STRIKING THE TAIL SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE PILOT CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT THE TAKEOFF. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. FILE CLOSED. (.4) THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING THE RUNWAY WITH THE INTENTION OF PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. HE STATED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, HE ROTATED THE AIRPLANE AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH. HE LOOKED OUTSIDE OF THE COCKPIT AND NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ONLY 15 FT. ABOVE THE RUNWAY. HE VERIFIED THAT THE AIRSPEED INDICATED 65 MPH. HE LEVELED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE RUNWAY. HE HIT HIS HEAD AGAINST THE PANEL, THEN FELT A SECOND IMPACT. THAT WAS THE LAST MEMORY THE PILOT HAD REGARDING THE ACCIDENT. SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ROTATING AT A VERY HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK. ONE WITNESS NOTED THAT THE NOSE APPEARED TO BE PITCHED UP AT AN ANGLE OF 15 TO 20 DEGREES. THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE VEER TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THEN REALIGN WITH THE RUNWAY, AND DRIFT RIGHT AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SEVE RAL LANDING LIGHTS OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THEN STRUCK A DIRT BERM, FOLLOWED BY A BARB-WIRE FENCE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD FLOWN A TOTAL OF 2.1 HOURS WITHIN THE PAST 90 DAYS, AND HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 4.5 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE PA-28. DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 8,891 FEET. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DEN99LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA132), Jul 31, 1999: Piper PA-28-180 (N7521W), Edgewood, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's excessive rotation during takeoff, resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Factors were the pilot's lack of recent flight experience, and the high density altitude.. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.