Piper PA-24-250 accident near Farmington, NM
On February 15, 1997, a Piper PA-24-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Farmington, NM. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 15, 1997
- Place
- Farmington, NM
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.751°N, 108.180°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07398
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 14, 1997, approximately 2315 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6433P, registered to and operated by Flying Z Aviation, Inc., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was destroyed when it impacted terrain in an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from the Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington, New Mexico. The commercial, instrument rated pilot and his four passengers were fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal cross-country flight which was en route to Belen, New Mexico. According to witnesses, the airplane landed at the Four Corners Regional Airport about 2030. After eating dinner at the airport restaurant, the pilot and passengers reboarded the airplane for the flight to Belen. A line service technician, employed by the fixed base operator, observed the airplane takeoff on runway 25, "breaking ground parallel to taxiway Delta." (Taxiway Delta is approximately 4,000 feet from the beginning of runway 25.) He reported that the airplane made "a normal climb to about 200 feet, and then descended to approximately 15-20 feet above the runway, gear up." The line service technician further reported that the airplane "accelerated in ground effect and established a high rate of climb toward the end of the runway." The line service technician observed the airplane begin "a shallow left hand turn " before he lost sight of it as it "passed behind the control tower." Although the control tower had closed at 2200 and was not providing ATC service to the airplane,
Probable cause
loss of aircraft control for undetermined reason(s).
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
