The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Piper Aircraft; Wichita, Kansas
Hartzell Propeller; Piqua, Ohio
Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/N7742P
Surveillance Video: https://ring.com

Location: Angel Fire, NM
Accident Number: WPR20FA008
Date & Time: 10/20/2019, 0845 MDT
Registration: N7742P
Aircraft: Piper PA 24
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On October 20, 2019, about 0845 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24 airplane, N7742P, during takeoff, impacted trees and a building before impacting the ground about 1/2 mile south of the Angel Fire Airport (AXX), Angel Fire, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and a postaccident fire ensued. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that was destined for Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD), Great Bend, Kansas.
Friends of the pilot, who helped with the refueling and preflight of the accident airplane that morning, said this was the pilots first time flying into this airport. The pilot stated to his friends that he was going to depart to the south and head back towards the airport because of the winds and to gain altitude. The pilot started the engine and let it warm up for about 10-15 minutes. The pilot then taxied to the departure end of runway 17 where he performed a run-up and magnetos check. The pilot's friends watched as the airplane started its takeoff roll and departed a little past midfield. Soon after the airplane departed the runway, they saw the landing gear retract and then lost sight of the airplane behind the parallel taxiway, which rises in elevation above the runway.
An eyewitness was driving north-bound when she saw the airplane flying from the airport on the east side of the highway. The airplane was very low and it appeared to be struggling to remain in flight. The airplane turned to fly over the road and towards the eyewitness, who subsequently drove her vehicle into the ditch alongside the highway. As the airplane was descending, it appeared to the eyewitness that the airplane was preparing to land on the road. The eyewitness noticed a section of power lines that cross the road in front of her location and hoped that the airplane was going avoid hitting them. As the airplane approached the power lines, the airplane pitched up and turned to the west, impacting trees, a building and terrain.
A security camera captured the airplane flying overhead about 50 ft above ground level and over an adjacent road. The airplane was flying wings level and the landing gear was in the down position. As the airplane approached light poles and power lines in the background, the airplane banked right and traveled behind trees and buildings out of view. Another security camera located near the accident site captured the airplane impacting trees and a building, before cartwheeling to the ground in a nose-down attitude. The airplane came to rest in an inverted position and a post-accident fire ensued.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the first identified point of contact were three trees located on the north side of a building. The right wing was found on the building's roof. The right main gear was found on the north side of the building and roof damage was found near the roof peak. The first ground impact was an area of disturbed ground surrounded by red lens fragments. The propeller separated from the engine and propeller blade strikes were found in the ground. The left outboard wing section separated. The main wreckage was found inverted and was the furthest in the debris field. The debris field was about 250 ft long and on a directional heading of about 190 degrees magnetic. Flight control cable continuity was attained, and all major structural components were found. The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.
AXX was situated at an elevation of 8,379 ft above mean sea level. It was equipped with one runway, designated 17/35, which measured 8,900 ft by 100 ft. AXX was not equipped with an air traffic control tower.
The 0845 automated weather observation at AXX, included winds from 270° at 9 knots gusting to 21 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, and a density altitude of about 9,225 ft mean sea level.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N7742P
Model/Series: PA 24 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Schenk Richard J
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KAXX, 8380 ft msl
Observation Time: 1445 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 2 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 5°C / -13°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Unknown
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots / 21 knots, 270°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 7000 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.87 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Angel Fire, NM (AXX)
Destination: Great Bend, KS (GBD)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 36.393056, -105.286944 (est)
