Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sierra Blanca Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ruidoso, New Mexico 88345
Sunday, March 13, 1988 16:45 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PRIVATE PLT AND TWO PAX ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF AT OR NEAR MAX GWT AT A DENSITY ALT OF 6,500 FT MSL. FULL FUEL HAD BEEN LOADED IN THE RIGHT TANK AND THE PLT INDICATED THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. RWY 24 WAS IN USE WITH A 70 DEGREE X-WIND REPORTED FROM 310 DEGREES AT 14, GUSTING TO 32 KTS. THE TWR OPERATOR SAID THAT ON TAKEOFF 'THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF THEN WENT NOSE HIGH.' THE ACFT WENT OUT OF SIGHT OFF THE END OF RWY. TWICE, THE RIGHT WING DROPPED TOWARD THE RWY AS THE NOSE WENT HIGH. WITNESSES REPORT THAT THE ACFT NEVER CLIMBED ABOVE 25 FT AGL. THE ACFT STRUCK THE TOP WIRE OF THE ARPT FENCE AT FOUR FT AGL PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE ACFT STRUCK TREES BEYOND THE END OF RWY 24 AND BOTH WINGS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/13/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | RUIDOSO |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88345 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SIERRA BLANCA REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SRR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 6811 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SRR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6811 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 32 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6500 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 105 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 14 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 35506 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N32982 |
| NTSB Number | DEN88LA065 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 287525133 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 22 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 14 |
| Airframe Hours | 2682 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM B RICH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RT 8 BOX 726 |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT WORTH |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76108 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LATHAM, WOODY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | OAK HILL #44 |
| Operator City | JOSHUA |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 76058 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SRR |
| Departure City | RUIDOSO |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1645 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | T67 |
| Destination City | FORT WORTH |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 8100 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |