Piper PA-28-140 N1884J

Summary

On 2 May 1982 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N1884J, operated by J L Thompson, was involved in an accident near Mescalero, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 May 1982 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mescalero, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N1884J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

J L Thompson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Almagardo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW82FQD11

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

TWO WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING EASTBOUND AT LOW ALTITUDE ALONG A HIGHWAY, THEN BEGIN A CLIMBING TURN OVER SHARPLY RISING TERRAIN. AFTER COMPLETING ABOUT 90 DEGREES OF TURN, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOPS OF TREES ABOUT 30 FT AGL. ABOUT 12 PACES BEYOND THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A SECOND GROUP OF TREES. THE SECOND IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 6 TO 8 FT ABOVE THE FIRST. ABOUT HALF OF THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING WAS SEVERED AND REMAINED IN THE SECOND GROUP OF TREES. FROM THERE, THE PLANE DESCENDED THROUGH OTHER TREES AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 20 PACES BEYOND THE SECOND IMPACT POINT. PROPELLER SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND IN THE TREES. A CHECK OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND A PARTIAL TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 8800 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.