What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(Tty) acft crashed a few minutes after take-off and was destroyed. The 2 POB suffered fatal injuries. Other circumstances are unknown. (From .19) on April 23, 1999, at 1022 mountain daylight time, a smith Aerostar 601P, N48MD, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, Ruidoso, new Mexico. The private instrument rated pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was being operated under title 14 CFR part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight which originated approx. 5 minutes before the accident. A VFR departure had been made with the intent of activating a filed IFR flight plan. According to witnesses, the pilot departed with his wife on runway 06. One witness observed the airplane make an immediate steep right hand turn just after liftoff. The airplane was located 24 hours later, 2.5 NM southeast of the airport on a 245 degree heading. The wreckage scatter extended for approximately 800 ft. (-23)SW01199904477 (.4)the pilot departed on runway 06 with zero degrees of flaps. A witness said that she noticed that the airplane appeared to wobble and shudder, and immediately went into a steep right bank turn right after takeoff. The airplane then went into the clouds which were 200 to 400 feet AGL. Radar data indicated that the airplane made several 90 degree turns prior to impacting the mountainous terrain 2.55 NM from the departure end of the runway. The pilot normally used 20 degrees of flaps for takeoff. A test pilot said that the airplane handles significantly different during takeoff if zero degrees of flaps are used verses 20 degrees of flaps. The upper cabin's entry door was found, with the locking handle and locking pins, in the closed position. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.
As the FAA filed it
(TTY) ACFT CRASHED A FEW MINUTES AFTER TAKE-OFF AND WAS DESTROYED. THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON APRIL 23, 1999, AT 1022 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SMITH AEROSTAR 601P, N48MD, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR SIERRA BLANCA REGIONAL AIRPORT, RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED APPROX. 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. A VFR DEPARTURE HAD BEEN MADE WITH THE INTENT OF ACTIVATING A FILED IFR FLIGHT PLAN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT DEPARTED WITH HIS WIFE ON RUNWAY 06. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MAKE AN IMMEDIATE STEEP RIGHT HAND TURN JUST AFTER LIFTOFF. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED 24 HOURS LATER, 2.5 NM SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT ON A 245 DEGREE HEADING. THE WRECKAGE SCATTER EXTENDED FOR APPROXIMATELY 800 FT. (-23)SW01199904477 (.4)THE PILOT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 06 WITH ZERO DEGREES OF FLAPS. A WITNESS SAID THAT SHE NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO WOBBLE AND SHUDDER, AND IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A STEEP RIGHT BANK TURN RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE THEN WENT INTO THE CLOUDS WHICH WERE 200 TO 400 FEET AGL. RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE MADE SEVERAL 90 DEGREE TURNS PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 2.55 NM FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT NORMALLY USED 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF. A TEST PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE HANDLES SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT DURING TAKEOFF IF ZERO DEGREES OF FLAPS ARE USED VERSES 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS. THE UPPER CABIN'S ENTRY DOOR WAS FOUND, WITH THE LOCKING HANDLE AND LOCKING PINS, IN THE CLOSED POSITION. NO PREIMPACT ENGINE OR AIRFRAME ANOMALIES, WHICH MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE, WERE IDENTIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.