- Date
- August 17, 1990, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Silver City, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3648VCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900817033969A
- Case key
- 17979
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
The pilot's improper planning which resulted in a flight in conditions which exceeded the performance capability of the aircraft. The high density altitude was a factor.
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 commercial pilot reported taking off from a gravel runway on a mountain mesa, with calm winds. The computed density altitude was 10,600 feet. The pilot said she lifted off at 60 miles per hour, dived the plane into a canyon to gain airspeed, turned and flew back over the air strip at 50 feet AGL. After flying several hundred yards, constantly losing altitude, the plane touched down in juniper brush.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3648V
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14919
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harry & Linda Pecotte
- Airport
- 1E0 · Meown, runway 14, 4,000 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,587 total · 71 in this make and model · 1,456 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3648V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.