- Date
- April 28, 1996, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carlsbad, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7256PPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960428009459A
- Case key
- 19818
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors relating to the accident were: the sudden windshift and/or windshear.
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
At the completion of a cross-country flight, while on a left downwind for landing on runway 03, the pilot encountered a wind shift and the aircraft started to descend. Despite the application of go-around procedures, the aircraft continued descending. The pilot executed a forced landing in a open area, but the aircraft was damaged. The wind was reported to be from 340 degrees at 8 knots, but the pilot said the wind was gusting from the north to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 28, 1996, at 1630 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24-180, N7256P, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing at Carlsbad, New Mexico. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred and no flight plan was filed for this cross country flight which originated in Amarillo, Texas, at 1500. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
According to the pilot, he elected to perform a go-around due to changing winds and could not keep the aircraft airborne due to adverse wind. He landed in flat sandy terrain next to the airport. The pilot said the distance from first encountering the unexpected descent to the point of impact was approximately 1.2 miles and that at onset of the descent, he was approximately 800 feet above ground level (agl).
The pilot of another aircraft, which was ahead of the accident aircraft, reported the winds to be 360 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7256P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2432
- Airframe hours
- 2,419
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D5, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sigma Three Consulting, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 1996 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- TDW · Amarillo, TX
- Destination
- CNM
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 524 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CNM, 2 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.