- Date
- October 15, 1989, 13:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3166QPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891015040409A
- Case key
- 17860
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft, his failure to use the recommended flap extension, his failure to maintain an airspeed above the automatic gear extension speed or use the override feature, which allowed the gear to extend (precluding the ability to climb), and the power line.
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
During takeoff from a 4010 ft rwy at an elevation of 5280 ft, the plt did not use 10 deg of flaps as recommended by the flt manual. He said lift-off was at 90 KTS & he raised the landing gear, but after the acft cleared trees, he noted the speed was still at 90 KTS. The plane stopped climbing & subsequently struck a power line. It then settled to the ground with the landing gear extended. After touchdown, the gear collapsed & the acft slid to a stop. The acft was equipped with a backup gear extension system, which would automatically extend the gear below a given speed, except when the override function was selected. The automatic extension speed was 81 KTS at sea level, but increased in a straight line variation to 100 KTS at 10,000 ft. density altitude at the airport was about 7000 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3166Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7780296
- Airframe hours
- 2,974
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alpine Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Frank Arlotti
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 21, 1989 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- 4AC
- Destination
- EMT · El Monte, CA
- Airport
- 4AC · Coronado, runway 17, 4,010 × 60 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 254 total · 31 in this make and model · 204 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 6 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.