Coronado Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113
Tuesady, October 5, 1993 12:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LEANED THE MIXTURE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE JUST PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF ROLL. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING VERY ROUGH. AFTER ADVANCING THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. AFTER ALL THE OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRPLANE, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THE AIRPLANE BURNED. ONE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE A LEFT TURN, STALL, AND IMPACT THE GROUND. ANOTHER WITNESS, AN ACTIVE PILOT WITH A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE, SAID THAT HE FIRST OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AT A LOW AIRSPEED, HIGH ANGLE-OF-ATTACK, CLIMBING AT ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS THE UP-SLOPE OF THE GROUND. IT THEN PITCHED UP AND DOWN, AND ROLLED INTO A SHARPLY DESCENDING LEFT TURN; IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT IT HAD STALLED. AS THE AIRPLANE THEN APPROACHED THE WITNESS'S LOCATION, HE HEARD THE ENGINE OPERATING & DEVELOPING POWER JUST BEFORE IT CRASHED. THE PILOT HAD ORIGINALLY TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT '...THE AIRCRAFT STALLED.' POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE EXAMINATION DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY ANOMALIES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED. THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS A FACTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/5/1993
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1230
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ALBUQUERQUE
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 87113
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CORONADO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 4AC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 135
Airport Elevation 5280
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1151 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 179
Weather Observation Facility ID ABQ
Elevation of weather observation facility 5352
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 25
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7252
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 3
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1077
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 5 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1440
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9317J
NTSB Number FTW94LA005
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-180C
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-180C
Aircraft Serial Number 28-3426
Certified Max Gross Weight 2400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 24 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 11
Airframe Hours 5130
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CASTILLO, JAMES & GILBERT
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1901 TAFT STREET
Aircraft Owner City ALTUS
Aircraft Owner State OK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 73521
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 130 LAKESIDE DRIVE
Operator City ALTUS
Operator State OK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 73521
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1225
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code AXS
Destination City ALTUS
Destination State OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --