DEN00LA117

NTSB accident investigation · Beech M35 · Los Alamos, NM · June 23, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 23, 2000, 12:10 local (18:10 UTC)
Place
Los Alamos, NM
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9304YBeech M35
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 18, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20000623014699A
Case key
49510

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's misjudgment of distance/speed resulting in an overrun and subsequent collision with a blast fence. Contributing factors were high density altitude, a tailwind, and the blast fence.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

OverrunLanding - roll
Weather condition - high density altitudeFactor
Distance/speed - misjudgedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - tailwindFactor
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - wall/barricadeFactor

Analysis

The pilot was completing a flight review and performing a full stop landing at the airport where the aircraft was based. The airport altitude was 7,171 feet msl, the temperature was 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and the density altitude was computed to be 9,300 feet. The wind was a 4 knot tailwind component. Thus, the ground speed was calculated to be 31 knots above the indicated airspeed and the pilot said he landed 'long and fast.' The aircraft went off the end of the runway during landing roll and struck the blast fence. The collision destroyed the aircraft; however, the private pilot and flight instructor check pilot were not injured.

Factual narrative

On June 23, 2000, at 1210 mountain daylight time, a Beech M35, N9304Y, sustained substantial damage when it departed the end of the runway and struck a blast fence during landing roll at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The private pilot in command, and the certified flight instructor check pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this biennial flight review operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Los Alamos at 1100.

According to the pilot, after departing Los Alamos, he and the check pilot flew to Espanola, New Mexico, where he did some air work (slow flight, unusual attitudes, steep turns, etc.). Then they flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they did some touch and go landings. After leaving Santa Fe, they returned to Los Alamos, for a full stop landing on runway 27.

In his statement, the pilot said he landed "long and fast" at Los Alamos and went off the end of the runway where the airplane struck a blast fence. According to the pilot, and later verified with the insurance adjuster, the aircraft was destroyed.

Los Alamos Airport runway 27 is 7,171 feet above mean seal level, 5,500 feet in length, and 130 feet wide. The temperature at the airport during the accident time frame was 72 degrees Fahrenheit, (42 degrees above standard). Density altitude was computed to be 9,300 feet. Under those conditions true airspeed was approximately 27 knots faster than indicated airspeed. The wind was from 040 at 5 knots, which was a quartering tailwind computed at 4 knots tailwind component. Thus, the approach ground speed was computed to be 31 knots faster than the indicated airspeed.

Aircraft

Registration
N9304Y
Reported as
Beech M35
Category
Airplane
Serial number
D-6527
Airframe hours
4,740
Engine
Continental IO-470-C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 91
Registered owner
Hugh R. Lehman
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · February 24, 2000 · 12 hours before
Departed
LAM
Airport
LAM · Los Alamos, runway 27, 5,550 × 130 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
79
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
3,005 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
40° at 5 knots
Visibility
40 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 54 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
LAM, 1 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.