Piper PA-28-180 accident near Edgewood, New Mexico, July 31, 1999
On July 31, 1999 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7521W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Edgewood, New Mexico (Sandia Airpark Estates airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive rotation during takeoff, resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Factors were the pilot's lack of recent flight experience, and the high density altitude..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1999 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Edgewood, New Mexico · Sandia Airpark Estates · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7521W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1439
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing the runway with the intention of performing touch and go landings. He stated that during takeoff, he rotated the airplane at a speed of 65 mph. He looked outside of the cockpit and noticed that the airplane was only 15 ft. above the runway. He verified that the airspeed indicated 65 mph. He leveled the nose of the airplane, and it impacted the runway. He hit his head against the panel, then felt a second impact. That was the last memory the pilot had regarding the accident. Several witnesses observed the airplane rotating at a very high angle of attack. One witness noted that the nose appeared to be pitched up at an angle of 15 to 20 degrees. The witnesses observed the airplane veer to the north side of the runway, then realign with the runway, and drift right again. The aircraft impacted several landing lights off the north side of the runway, then struck a dirt berm, followed by a barb-wire fence. At the time of the accident, the pilot had flown a total of 2.1 hours within the past 90 days, and had accumulated a total of 4.5 hours of flight time in the PA-28. Density altitude at the time of the accident was calculated to be 8,891 feet.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 121 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 82 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 1999; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NM51 NM at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,280 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from ABQ, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.