- Date
- March 19, 1988, 15:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Angel Fire, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3254ZPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 17354
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
After takeoff, the acft could not outclimb rapidly rising terrain off the end of the rwy and collided with trees/terrain. Exam of wreckage disclosed fouled plugs from rich mixture and low cyl compression. Exam of airport info did not describe topography hazards. Pilot information indicated a lack of high altitude airport operations,mountain training, and/or experience. Aircraft performance capability was inadequate to meet the first climb segment. The density altitude at the time was about 8,500 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3254Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7202
- Airframe hours
- 3,438
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John D. Riddle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 16, 1987 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- AXX · Angel Fire, NM
- Destination
- Clovis, NM
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 19 in this make and model · 163 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg