Piper PA 24 accident near Angel Fire, NM
On October 20, 2019, a Piper PA 24 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Angel Fire, NM. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 20, 2019
- Place
- Angel Fire, NM
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.393°N, 105.287°W
- NTSB ID
- 20191020X24101
Official records · WPR20FA008
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 20, 2019, about 0845 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24, N7742P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 cross-country flight. According to friends of the pilot who stated they had helped with the refueling and preflight of the accident airplane that morning, this was his first time flying into Angel Fire Airport (AXX), Angel Fire, New Mexico. The pilot stated to his friends that he was going to depart to the south and then head back toward the airport because of the winds and to gain altitude. The pilot started the engine and let it warm up for about 10-15 minutes. The airplane taxied to the departure end of runway 17 where the pilot performed an engine run-up and magneto checks. The pilot’s friends watched as the airplane started its takeoff roll and became airborne a little past halfway down the runway. Shortly thereafter, they saw the airplane’s landing gear retract and soon lost sight of the airplane behind the parallel taxiway, which rises in elevation above the runway. An eyewitness was driving north when she saw the airplane flying south from the airport which was located on the east side of the highway. The airplane was very low and it appeared to be struggling to remain in flight. The airplane turned right to fly over the road and toward the eyewitness, who subsequently drove her vehicle into the ditch alongside the highway. As the airplane was descending, it appe
Probable cause
The airplane’s degraded performance due to high-density altitude and gusting wind conditions, which resulted in its inability to maintain altitude during the initial takeoff climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience with high altitude flying and his decision to depart in high-density altitude and gusting wind conditions.
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.
