- Date
- July 15, 1988, 13:08 local (19:08 UTC)
- Place
- Gallup, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1578JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 8, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880715026689A
- Case key
- 17505
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 private plt & his wife were starting a cross-country personal transportation flt. The acft was loaded to near max gwt, & the fss had reported a density alt of 9,600 ft to the plt. After takeoff on a 6,300 x 100 ft, asphalt rwy, the plt said the acft encountered a downdraft at 300-400 ft AGL. The acft lost alt to 75-100 ft AGL. The acft maintained this alt for aprx 2 mi over rising terrain. The plt made a 180 deg rt turn to avoid a residential area. He stated that the terrain seemed to rise faster than the acft could climb & the acft crash- landed. The crash occurred within 3 mi of the aprt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1578J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2823986
- Airframe hours
- 4,079
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Arnold, Wesley C.
- Registered owner
- Arnold, Wesley C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1988 · 37 hours before
- Destination
- Durango, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Gallup, runway 6, 6,300 × 100 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 620 total · 570 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GUP, 3 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.