# Accident 19990423003909A: Piper PA60601, Ruidoso, NM, April 23, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 23, 1999, 10:23 local time
- Place: Ruidoso, NM
- Airport: Sierra Blanca Regional Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3495° N, 105.6800° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3495&lon=-105.6800&mi=10
- Aircraft: N48MD, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N48MD-2017-04-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith AEROSTAR 601P (registry code 8360608, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-aerostar-601p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA60601
- Reported engine: LYC IO540S1A5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 3,681 total, 597 in this make and model, 96 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99FA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990423003909A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN99FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99FA066), Apr 23, 1999: Smith, Ted Aerostar 601P (N48MD), Ruidoso, NM, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control for undetermined reason. A factor was the low ceiling IMC weather condition.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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