Piper PA-24-250 N6433P

Summary

On 15 February 1997 at about 06:15 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N6433P was involved in an accident near Farmington, New Mexico, United States. 5 people were on board and 5 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 February 1997 at 06:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Farmington, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Four Corners Regional (FMN)

Coordinates

36.7508, -108.1804

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N6433P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Belen

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

FTW97FA103

5 people died.

loss of aircraft control for undetermined reason(s).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the initial climb after a night takeoff, the airplane was observed to stall, enter a spin, and impact the ground in a nose down attitude. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical discrepancies. Although five persons were aboard the 4-seat airplane, an estimate of the airplane's weight and balance at the time of the accident placed it within allowable limits. The commercial/instrument rated pilot had accumulated 201 hours in this make and model airplane. Bright night visual meteorological conditions prevailed with clear skies, visibility 15 miles, and the moon 29 degrees above the horizon and 59% illuminated. An autopsy of the 22 year old pilot was performed, and microscopy of the heart revealed 70% narrowing of the atrioventricular (AV) nodal artery. FAIP pathologists noted that 'A single focus of inflammation with myocyte necrosis does not, in our opinion, warrant a diagnosis of myocarditis as a cause of sudden death, as this finding may also be seen in non-cardiac deaths. We were unable to appreciate ischemic changes in the myocardium.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.