Piper PA-24-250 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 7, 1986
On August 7, 1986 at about 2:44 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N7681P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Coronado airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. 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
- August 7, 1986 · about 2:44 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Coronado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7681P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS REFUELED TO CAPACITY AT LONGMONT, CO. FULL CAPACITY SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED AT LEAST 3.6 HRS OF FLYING TIME AT NORMAL CONSUMPTION. AFTER REFUELING, THE ACFT WAS FLOWN 1.3 HRS TO FOWLER, CO, WHERE IT REMAINED PARKED FOR A WEEK. THE PLT THEN DEPARTED ON A FLT TO ALBUQUERQUE, NM. AFTER 1.3 HRS OF FLT TIME, THE ENG LOST PWR. DURING AN EMERG LANDING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE RGT WING OF THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A BRIDGE RAILING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LOSS OF PWR WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PLT SAID HE LOOKED IN THE FUEL TANKS DRG A PREFLIGHT INSPN. HE NOTED THERE WAS FUEL IN BOTH TANKS, BUT HE DID NOT ASCERTAIN THE QUANTITY. ALSO, HE RPRTD THAT THE FUEL GAGES WERE NOT RELIABLE. HE BELIEVED THAT FUEL WAS STOLEN FROM THE ACFT WHILE IT WAS PARKED AT FOWLER.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,800 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,980 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 1986; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O9V Fowler CO at 1:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:45 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7681P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.