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DEN90LA145

1990-06-27 · MONTE VISTA, Colorado, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MVI

N28421 has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (PIPER PA-28-181, built 2013), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S PREMATURE ROTATION AND LIFTOFF.

Factual narrative

THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FLYING AN ORIENTATION FLIGHT WITH THREE PASSENGERS. THE COMPUTED DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 11,000 FEET. HE SAID THE PLANE SEEMED SLUGGISH DURING GROUND RUN. HE SAID HE LIFTED OFF AT 70 MPH, FLEW INTO GROUND EFFECT, BUT COULD NOT ACCELERATE TO CLIMB SPEED. HE SAID THE PLANE SETTLED BACK ONTO THE 6,000 FOOT RUNWAY AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE IT ATTAINED 5 FEET AGL AND REMAINED ALOFT. HE SAID HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT THE PLANE STRUCK A FENCE 150 FEET BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND THEN A GRAVEL ROAD AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE WRECKAGE WAS DESTROYED IN THE POSTACCIDENT FIRE. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SEEMED TO LIFT OFF BEFORE ACHIEVING FLYING SPEED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_DEN90LA145.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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