NTSB DEN92LA065 — 1992-06-30 · LEADVILLE, Colorado, United States

N109RH has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (HEIGL RUDOLPH F FIRESTAR II, built 2007), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N109RH Piper PA-32RT-300 Minor

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. FACTORS INCLUDED: THE PILOT ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO LIFT OFF PREMATURELY, AND GUSTY CROSSWINDS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF ON RUNWAY 16 WITH FLAPS SET AT 25 DEGREES. PRIOR TO REACHING ROTATION SPEED, THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF AND A CROSSWIND DRIFTED IT LEFT. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A RUNWAY MARKER, BECAME AIRBORNE, HIT A TREE, IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND SLID INTO A RAVINE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_DEN92LA065.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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