Alameda Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110
Sunday, October 9, 1988 11:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PLT-RATED PAX TOLD PLT, CORONADO ARPT 'IN SIGHT'. PLT WAS SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE LORAN INDICATED ARPT WAS 3 MI AWAY BUT TRUSTED FORMER INSTRUMENT STUDENT'S JUDGMENT & LANDED AT CLOSED ALAMEDA ARPT INSTEAD OF CORONADO ARPT. CORONADO UNICOM HAD TOLD PLT 'MULTIPLE BALLOONS IN AREA, FAVORING RWY 17.' PLT SAW TWO BALLOONS WHILE ON FINAL APCH. THE PLT SAID HE SAW A 'STARBURST' ON THE RWY BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS AN 'X' PAINTED OVER THE NOS 17 ON THE RWY, INDICATING A CLOSED RUNWAY, UNTIL AFTER HE FLARED. PLT ABORTED LANDING & ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND. AS ACFT LIFTED OFF, PLT SAW HOT AIR BALLOON DIRECTLY AHEAD & VEERED RIGHT SHARPLY TO AVOID COLLISION. STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED CONTINOUSLY AS THE PLT TRIED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, FLEW UNDER POWERLINES, HIT A CHAIN LINK FENCE, & CRASHED INTO A PARKED TRUCK TRAILER 1/4 MI FROM ARPT. CLOSED ARPT RWY WAS NOT PROPERLY MARKED AS SUGGESTED BY FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/9/1988
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1130
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ALBUQUERQUE
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 87110
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ALAMEDA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID Q64
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 5098
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1152 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 151
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 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 6726
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 4
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1284
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 9 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37380
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7228P
NTSB Number DEN89FA010
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-24-180
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-180
Aircraft Serial Number 24-2402
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 25 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 100
Airframe Hours 2800
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GOULDS, RALPH J.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 60267
Aircraft Owner City SAN DIEGO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92106
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name POWELL, RALPH
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 2V1
Departure City PAGOSA SPRINGS
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1015
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 4AC
Destination City ALBUQUERQUE
Destination State NM
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17
Runway Length 6080
Runway Width 80
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --