Incident Overview
According to the pilot's accident report, he departed a grass airstrip measuring 3,000 feet by 300 feet, with a dirt surface, en route to El Paso, Texas. After takeoff, he climbed to 200 feet and maneuvered to the left side of a valley. He then made a climbing right turn to head south and through the valley.
Encounter with Crosswind
During the turn, the pilot encountered a hard crosswind from the left. In response, he turned into the downwind side of this crosswind. The airplane subsequently lost altitude and barely struck the ground.
Ground Impact and Damage
Upon impact, the landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid approximately 80 feet before colliding with a log-loading machine.
Density Altitude Considerations
The computed density altitude at Deming, New Mexico (elevation 4,312 feet mean sea level), located 44 miles southeast of the accident site, was 7,349 feet mean sea level. The pilot reported the elevation of the accident site as 6,200 feet mean sea level. The approximate density altitude at the accident site was computed to be 9,628 feet mean sea level.