Piper PA-28-140 accident near Reserve, New Mexico, April 24, 1984
On April 24, 1984 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N9769W, was destroyed in an accident near Reserve, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1984 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Reserve, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N9769W · no longer on the register · serial 2823256
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE ACFT, ACCORDING TO THE PLT, REACHED ABOUT 500 FT AGL WHEN THE AIRSPEED DROPPED AND THE ACFT STALLED INTO TREES. LATER THE DENSITY ALT WAS FIGURED TO BE 9091 FT. THIS WAS OVER 2000 FTHIGHER THAN THE HIGHEST DATA ON THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS. IF THE CHARTS ARE NOT USABLE THE TAKEOFF SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTEDACCORDING TO FAA. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER LOCAL OBSERVER THE RWY WHICH THE PLT USED IS SELDOM USED BECAUSE OF THE UPHILL GRADIENT WITH HIGHER TERRAIN AND TREES AT THE END.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1,470 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1981
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Q16 Reserve NM
- Destination: ONM Socorro NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 240° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.