- Date
- May 5, 1989, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9147YPiper PA-28RT-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890505015529A
- Case key
- 17708
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate inflight planning and inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Contributing to the accident were crosswind and turbulence encountered close to the ground and high density altitude conditions.
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 said he set up a long final app in preparation for landing on rwy 19 at animas airpark. He said as he crossed the end of the rwy at about 60 ft AGL he encountered turbulence which resulted in the acft dropping to near ground level and drifting to the lt to an area beside the rwy. He attempted a go-around and during the go-around the rt wing collided with a windsock pole. The acft remained airborne and the plt flew to another nearby airport for landing. The FBO at animas airpark said the mountainous terrain to the west of the airport sometimes results in turbulence in the vic of the airport which is not predictable or noticeable at ground level. The elev of the airport is 6690 ft. with a temp of 60 f, the da would be 8000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9147Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201T (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-B531015
- Airframe hours
- 1,060
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Western Aviation
- Registered owner
- Maw, Ralph B
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1989 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- 5CO0
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 5C00 · Animas Airpark, runway 19, 5,000 × 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 195 total · 24 in this make and model · 169 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.