# NTSB DEN89FA010: Piper PA-24-180, N7228P, Albuquerque, NM, October 9, 1988

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: October 9, 1988, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Coordinates: 35.110626, -106.580284 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1106&lon=-106.5803&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 4 serious
- Status: Completed, report December 6, 1989
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 17565
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN89FA010
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/17565/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN89FA010

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Near collision between aircraft, landing - aborted
  - airport facilities,runway marking - inadequate (contributing factor)
  - airport operations - discontinued, airport personnel
  - landed at wrong airport - attempted, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - information - inaccurate, passenger (contributing factor)
- In flight collision with object, landing - aborted
  - maneuver - attempted, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - high density altitude (contributing factor)
  - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
  - object - fence
  - object - vehicle

## Analysis

PLT-RATED PAX TOLD PLT, CORONADO ARPT 'IN SIGHT'. PLT WAS SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE LORAN INDICATED ARPT WAS 3 MI AWAY BUT TRUSTED FORMER INSTRUMENT STUDENT'S JUDGMENT & LANDED AT CLOSED ALAMEDA ARPT INSTEAD OF CORONADO ARPT. CORONADO UNICOM HAD TOLD PLT 'MULTIPLE BALLOONS IN AREA, FAVORING RWY 17.' PLT SAW TWO BALLOONS WHILE ON FINAL APCH. THE PLT SAID HE SAW A 'STARBURST' ON THE RWY BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS AN 'X' PAINTED OVER THE NOS 17 ON THE RWY, INDICATING A CLOSED RUNWAY, UNTIL AFTER HE FLARED. PLT ABORTED LANDING & ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND. AS ACFT LIFTED OFF, PLT SAW HOT AIR BALLOON DIRECTLY AHEAD & VEERED RIGHT SHARPLY TO AVOID COLLISION. STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED CONTINOUSLY AS THE PLT TRIED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, FLEW UNDER POWERLINES, HIT A CHAIN LINK FENCE, & CRASHED INTO A PARKED TRUCK TRAILER 1/4 MI FROM ARPT. CLOSED ARPT RWY WAS NOT PROPERLY MARKED AS SUGGESTED BY FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N7228P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7228P-2013-05-06), registration cancelled 2013-05-06, S/N 24-2402, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-180
- Registry model: [Piper PA-24](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24) (registry code 7102402) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-2402
- Airframe hours: 2800
- Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A1D 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Powell, Ralph
- Registered owner: Goulds, Ralph J.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, June 25, 1988, 100 hours before
- Departed: 2V1, PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO
- Destination: 4AC, ALBUQUERQUE, NM
- Airport: Q64, Alameda, runway 17, 6,080 × 80 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 59; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 2,089 total, 70 in this make and model, 2,000 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 90° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: ABQ, 9 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19881009047019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881009047019A), Oct 9, 1988: Piper PA24, Albuquerque, NM, Destroyed. Landed on a closed airport. Tried to go around due to blocked runway. Unable to climb, hit fence and a truck.

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.

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