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May 31, Albuquerque, N.M. / Piper Arrow

At 20:34 mountain time, a Piper PA-28R-180 was destroyed during a forced landing two miles south of Albuquerque International Sunport. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The airplane took off from runway 21 and, as it climbed to 150 to 200 feet, the engine lurched and began sputtering. The pilot reported his situation to the control tower and he was cleared to land on any runway. As he turned around, the right wing struck a power line and was torn off, and the airplane crashed on a mesa. Inspection revealed the No. 1 cylinder head had blown off at the barrel....

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Key Takeaways:

  • A Piper PA-28R-180 was destroyed during a forced landing two miles south of Albuquerque International Sunport, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot.
  • The incident occurred shortly after takeoff when the engine lurched and began sputtering, prompting the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.
  • During the turn to land, the aircraft's right wing struck a power line, causing it to tear off and the plane to crash.
  • Investigation revealed the engine failure was due to the No. 1 cylinder head blowing off at the barrel.
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At 20:34 mountain time, a Piper PA-28R-180 was destroyed during a forced landing two miles south of Albuquerque International Sunport. The pilot suffered minor injuries. The airplane took off from runway 21 and, as it climbed to 150 to 200 feet, the engine lurched and began sputtering. The pilot reported his situation to the control tower and he was cleared to land on any runway. As he turned around, the right wing struck a power line and was torn off, and the airplane crashed on a mesa. Inspection revealed the No. 1 cylinder head had blown off at the barrel.

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