- Date
- April 17, 1987, 05:50 local (11:50 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1714SAero Commander S-2D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870417010129A
- Case key
- 17206
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
The plt departed deming, NM and flew to a ranch 15 mi n of Columbus, NM, to position the acft for aerial spraying that day. It was still dark when the plt made his apch to a road paralleled by power lines on the left and telephone cable marker posts on the right. The plt said he had landed on this road previously. The acft was not equipped with a landing light. The plt said he apparently allowed the acft to drift to the left. Realizing this, the plt added power and banked in an attempt to make a go-around. The left wing tip snagged a power line then a double transformer pole. The acft cartwheeled and crashed in an adjoining field, coming to rest inverted. The plt said he sustained minor injuries. The acft was substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1714S
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S-2D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 600-1347D
- Airframe hours
- 4,200
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Southwest Aviation Serv. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 19, 1986
- Departed
- DMN · Deming, NM
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 14,720 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 14,095 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DMN, 11 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.