Piper PA-28R-180 N7439J

Summary

On 11 May 1985 at about 17:20 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N7439J was involved in an accident near Reserve, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 May 1985 at 17:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Reserve, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Reserve (Q16)

Coordinates

33.7001, -108.7595

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N7439J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN85LA132

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

PLT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT AN ALT OF APRX 100 FT AGL, THE ACFT STOPPED CLIMBING AND STARTED DESCENDING. UNABLE TO ARREST THE DESCENT, THE PLT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR CONTACTED THE TOP OF A BARBED WIRE FENCE AND THE MAIN AND NOSE GEARS COLLAPSED ON LANDING. DENSITY ALT AT TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 7900 FT. THE MAX DENSITY ALT LISTED ON THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE VS DENSITY ALT CHART IN THE OWNER'S HANDBOOK IS 7000 FT. THE PLT STATED HE BELIEVED EITHER A DOWNDRAFT OR WIND SHEAR WAS ENCOUNTERED AFTER TAKEOFF, HOWEVER, HE REPORTED A WIND VELOCITY OF 8 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.