Piper PA-28-180C accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 5, 1993
On October 5, 1993 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180C, registered N9317J, was destroyed in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Coronado airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED. THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1993 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Coronado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180C · all PA-28-180Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9317J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3426
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LEANED THE MIXTURE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE JUST PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF ROLL. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING VERY ROUGH. AFTER ADVANCING THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. AFTER ALL THE OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRPLANE, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THE AIRPLANE BURNED. ONE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE A LEFT TURN, STALL, AND IMPACT THE GROUND. ANOTHER WITNESS, AN ACTIVE PILOT WITH A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE, SAID THAT HE FIRST OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AT A LOW AIRSPEED, HIGH ANGLE-OF-ATTACK, CLIMBING AT ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS THE UP-SLOPE OF THE GROUND. IT THEN PITCHED UP AND DOWN, AND ROLLED INTO A SHARPLY DESCENDING LEFT TURN; IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT IT HAD STALLED. AS THE AIRPLANE THEN APPROACHED THE WITNESS'S LOCATION, HE HEARD THE ENGINE OPERATING & DEVELOPING POWER JUST BEFORE IT CRASHED. THE PILOT HAD ORIGINALLY TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT '...THE AIRCRAFT STALLED.' POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE EXAMINATION DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY ANOMALIES.
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: 233 hours in all; 233 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 195 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 1993; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: AXS Altus OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from ABQ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N9317J 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.