- Date
- June 24, 1987, 16:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Reserve, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6060XMooney M20A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870624026349A
- Case key
- 17114
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.
Analysis
The plt was ferrying his acft from Reserve airport, NM, to jewitt mesa airport, apache creek, NM. There was a mature thunderstorm over the northern mountain ridge producing what one witness described as winds 'really blowing hard.' She said she saw the acft climb over the tops of the trees and it's 'wings were wobbling.' Another witness, driving on a highway parallel to the rwy, said he paced the acft as it took off on rwy 06. He said the acft lifted off just beyond the parking ramp and climbed to an estimated 300 ft altitude. It then banked to the left, 'its wings became vertical and then its nose immediately dropped.' Post-crash exam of acft disclosed no evidence of airframe, eng, prop, or flt control failure/malfunction. Postmortem examination of the plt disclosed no evidence of incapacitation or impairment.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6060X
- Reported as
- Mooney M20A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1686
- Airframe hours
- 3,109
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David A. Piearcy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 1986 · 200 hours before
- Destination
- Q13 · Apache Creek, NM
- Airport
- Q16 · Reserve, runway 6, 4,800 × 50 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 314 total · 174 in this make and model · 272 as pilot in command · 79 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SVC, 72 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.