What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 12, 2021, about 1100 MDT, a Beech 77 skipper, N3873Y, privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Stanley, new Mexico. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. No flight plan was filed. The flight originated at double eagle ii airport in albuquerque, NM, kaeg. VFR conditions prevailed during the entire flight. The private pilot, sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. N3873Y was destroyed as result of the accident.
The pilot reported that the airplane maintained only a 200 fpm climb rate. He added that 3 days earlier, under almost identical atmospheric conditions and airplane loading, the airplane maintained a climb rate of 500 fpm. A performance calculation for the accident flight conducted by the NTSB, the abq FSDO, and the pilot revealed that the airplane?s climb rate should have been at least 500+ fpm. The pilot further reported that the airplane would not climb higher than 6,700 feet mean sea level and decided to maneuver the airplane towards a nearby airport, 0E0. About 300 feet above the ground, as he maneuvered to follow a road to reach the airport, the pilot noticed that the terrain was rising and elected to perform a precautionary/emergency landing. Shortly after touchdown, the
Airplane struck a previously unseen cattleguard post and the slid upright 200 feet to a stop. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was substantially damaged.
The pilot claims to have properly leaned the fuel mixture to account for the density altitude as he always does during his regularly summer flight over and in new Mexico. He has substantial previous experience in flying in high-density-altitude environments like central new Mexico in his many years of flying this very same aircraft.
He suspects that a spark plug/plugs and/or cylinder may have been malfunctioning in his engine. This is again based on his 4000 plus hours of owning this aircraft. However, the NTSB elected to not tear down the engine of the aircraft, and the aircraft was written off by the insurance company and was not available for post-accident inspection by airworthiness inspectors of the abq FSDO. The airworthiness inspectors of the abq FSDO who responded to the accident scene did not look at engine cylinders or spark plugs.
Based on the limited data available and statements made by the pilot to both the NTSB and abq FSDO, it appears plausible that there was an unknown mechanical issue with the aircraft that ultimately resulted in the accident.
The airman maintained control of the aircraft during the emergency landing until the aircraft slid into an unseen cattleguard post on the ground.
The airman had flown this same route previously in nearly identical conditions with no performance issues whatsoever.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 12, 2021, ABOUT 1100 MDT, A BEECH 77 SKIPPER, N3873Y, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR STANLEY, NEW MEXICO. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT DOUBLE EAGLE II AIRPORT IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM, KAEG. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS NOT INJURED. N3873Y WAS DESTROYED AS RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED ONLY A 200 FPM CLIMB RATE. HE ADDED THAT 3 DAYS EARLIER, UNDER ALMOST IDENTICAL ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AND AIRPLANE LOADING, THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED A CLIMB RATE OF 500 FPM. A PERFORMANCE CALCULATION FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB, THE ABQ FSDO, AND THE PILOT REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE?S CLIMB RATE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 500+ FPM. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB HIGHER THAN 6,700 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL AND DECIDED TO MANEUVER THE AIRPLANE TOWARDS A NEARBY AIRPORT, 0E0. ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AS HE MANEUVERED TO FOLLOW A ROAD TO REACH THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE TERRAIN WAS RISING AND ELECTED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY/EMERGENCY LANDING. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE
AIRPLANE STRUCK A PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN CATTLEGUARD POST AND THE SLID UPRIGHT 200 FEET TO A STOP. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
THE PILOT CLAIMS TO HAVE PROPERLY LEANED THE FUEL MIXTURE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AS HE ALWAYS DOES DURING HIS REGULARLY SUMMER FLIGHT OVER AND IN NEW MEXICO. HE HAS SUBSTANTIAL PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN FLYING IN HIGH-DENSITY-ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENTS LIKE CENTRAL NEW MEXICO IN HIS MANY YEARS OF FLYING THIS VERY SAME AIRCRAFT.
HE SUSPECTS THAT A SPARK PLUG/PLUGS AND/OR CYLINDER MAY HAVE BEEN MALFUNCTIONING IN HIS ENGINE. THIS IS AGAIN BASED ON HIS 4000 PLUS HOURS OF OWNING THIS AIRCRAFT. HOWEVER, THE NTSB ELECTED TO NOT TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS WRITTEN OFF BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION BY AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS OF THE ABQ FSDO. THE AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS OF THE ABQ FSDO WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE DID NOT LOOK AT ENGINE CYLINDERS OR SPARK PLUGS.
BASED ON THE LIMITED DATA AVAILABLE AND STATEMENTS MADE BY THE PILOT TO BOTH THE NTSB AND ABQ FSDO, IT APPEARS PLAUSIBLE THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH THE AIRCRAFT THAT ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT.
THE AIRMAN MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO AN UNSEEN CATTLEGUARD POST ON THE GROUND.
THE AIRMAN HAD FLOWN THIS SAME ROUTE PREVIOUSLY IN NEARLY IDENTICAL CONDITIONS WITH NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES WHATSOEVER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.