NTSB Factual Report

On May 30, 2002, at 1645 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-22-160 airplane, N9051D, was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence during a precautionary landing near Nageezi, New Mexico. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Guthrie Municipal Airport, Guthrie, Oklahoma, and was destined for the Page Municipal Airport, Page, Arizona.

On May 30, 2002, the pilot purchased the airplane in Guthrie and departed for a flight to his home base in Page. The flight made its first fuel stop in Guymon, Oklahoma, and then departed with the next intended fuel stop at Gallup, New Mexico. The pilot stated that he was following Interstate 40 (I-40), when he encountered mountainous terrain east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He elected to alter his route of flight to the north of the Class C airspace around Albuquerque, and planned on rejoining I-40 west of Albuquerque. The pilot deviated and began following Interstate 550, which he believed to be I-40. The pilot was navigating using a world aeronautical chart. The flight traveled 70 miles and when the pilot did not reach Gallup, he began searching for a precautionary landing site due to low fuel. He elected to land on what appeared to be a dirt airstrip. The airplane landed, and the airplane's right wing contacted a barbed wire fence 3/4 of the way down the dirt strip. The pilot added that when he identified the fence it was too late to execute a go-around, and the dirt was too loose to stop prior to the fence. The right wing root and right wing strut were structurally damaged.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's failure to select a suitable landing site, which resulted in a collision with a fence.