DEN84FA137

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-140 · Reserve, NM · April 24, 1984

Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal report
Date
April 24, 1984, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
Place
Reserve, NM
Injuries
3 serious
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N9769WPiper PA-28-140
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Dawn
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19840424014309A
Case key
16209

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - in flightTakeoff - initial climb
Weather condition - high density altitudeFactor
Preflight planning/preparation - improperPilot in commandCause
Judgment - poorPilot in command
Wrong runway - selectedPilot in commandFactor
Performance data - disregardedPilot in commandFactor
Proper climb rate - not possiblePilot in commandCause
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Object - tree(s)

Analysis

The acft collided with trees shortly after takeoff. The acft, according to the plt, reached about 500 ft AGL when the airspeed dropped and the acft stalled into trees. Later the density alt was figured to be 9091 ft. this was over 2000 fthigher than the highest data on the performance charts. If the charts are not usable the takeoff should not be attemptedaccording to FAA. According to another local observer the rwy which the plt used is seldom used because of the uphill gradient with higher terrain and trees at the end.

Aircraft

Registration
N9769W
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Category
Airplane
Serial number
2823256
Engine
Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
R L Hefner
Registered owner
R.L. Hefner
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · April 15, 1981
Departed
Q16 · Reserve, NM
Destination
ONM · Socorro, NM

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
60
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Expired
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,500 total · 520 in this make and model · 1,470 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Dawn
Wind
240° at 22 knots
Visibility
15 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
81 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.