- Date
- June 30, 1992, 15:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Leadville, CO
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N109RHPiper PA-32RT-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920630022749A
- Case key
- 18220
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 failure to compensate for wind conditions and maintain directional control. Factors included: the pilot allowing the airplane to lift off prematurely, and gusty crosswinds.
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 pilot was taking off on runway 16 with flaps set at 25 degrees. Prior to reaching rotation speed, the airplane lifted off and a crosswind drifted it left. The airplane struck a runway marker, became airborne, hit a tree, impacted the ground, and slid into a ravine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N109RH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300 (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7885070
- Airframe hours
- 2,327
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Strub, Richard D.
- Registered owner
- Strub, Richard D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 8, 1992 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- LXV
- Destination
- MTJ · Montrose, CO
- Airport
- LXV · Lake County, runway 16, 5,300 × 75 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,194 total · 422 in this make and model · 1,194 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.