Accident Details
On April 17, 2008, at approximately 1230 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 (registration N6260J) was destroyed when it struck terrain shortly after takeoff from Reserve Airport (T16) in Reserve, New Mexico. The private pilot and one passenger were seriously injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was consumed by a post-impact fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight to Mesa (FFZ), Arizona.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that takeoff was from runway 24 with wind from 210 degrees at 10 to 12 knots. After liftoff and climbing above tree level, he encountered a "severe wind gust (right quartering tail wind) from approximately 040 degrees [of] at least 20+ knots." According to his statement, the airplane lost lift and was blown off the runway centerline. He attempted to stabilize the aircraft but with the loss of lift, it impacted the ground hard with the nose and left wing, and then flipped over. The airplane caught fire and was totally consumed.
GPS Data
An FAA inspector recovered a window-mounted Lowrance Airmap 2000c GPS unit from the wreckage. The NTSB's Vehicle Recorder Division downloaded the stored data. The unit does not record time or altitude. Recorded track data were consistent with the aircraft being on the ground at Reserve, New Mexico. The tracklog showed that the aircraft moved from the ramp area to a point approximately 1,000 feet from the approach end of runway 24, performed a 180-degree turn on the runway, and traveled to a point abeam the numbers for the 09 end, about 80 feet south of the runway centerline. The last recorded GPS location was at 1606:45 CDT (note: likely a time zone discrepancy) at coordinates N33 degrees 41.547', W108 degrees 51.434'. The calculated average course between the last two data points was 245 degrees true.
Witness Report
The pilot's brother, who witnessed the accident, saw the airplane take off, climb, then descend with the left wing low. He did not see the impact but heard it and went to the accident site. He helped extricate the right front seat passenger. He placed all three victims in his truck and while driving to a medical facility, encountered a sheriff's deputy, who summoned emergency medical personnel.
Airport and Conditions
According to AirNav.com, Reserve Airport has an elevation of 6,360 feet mean sea level. Runway 06-24 is 4,800 feet long and 50 feet wide, constructed of asphalt with a 1.9 percent uphill gradient on runway 24. The pilot estimated a useful load of 898 pounds and a takeoff weight of 2,430 pounds, against a gross weight of 2,550 pounds and empty weight of 1,540 pounds. A U.S. Forest Service ranger station approximately 5 miles east of the airport reported the temperature at 1300 as 53 degrees Fahrenheit. The FAA calculated density altitude between 6,900 and 7,300 feet.
According to FAA records, the pilot took his private pilot practical test in late February 2008 and failed; he retook and passed it in early March 2008. Other than the flight to Reserve, the pilot's only other high density altitude experience was a flight into Payson, Arizona.