- Date
- July 2, 1989, 15:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Angel Fire, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N20CFBeech E33
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890702018639A
- Case key
- 17594
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, his premature rotation for takeoff and subsequent failure to obtain or maintain sufficient speed to climb, and his failure to abort the takeoff (while there was sufficient rwy remaining). Contributing factors were: the pilot allowed the aircraft gross weight to exceed the maximum limit, high density altitude, uphill runway gradient, downdraft, turbulence, and trees.
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 and 3 pax boarded the acft at Angel Fire, NM (elev 8382 ft MSL) to return to phoenix, AZ. Density alt was aprx 11,582 ft MSL. The acft, which had just been serviced, had 54 gal of fuel on board and was aprx 30 lbs over its max gross weight limit. The plt elected to take off on rwy 17 (8900 ft x 75 ft, 0.643% uphill gradient). He rotated 3 times before the acft finally lifted off near the departure end. Numerous witnesses observed the acft flying low through the valley towards gradually rising terrain. It finally struck trees and crashed aprx 5 mi from the arpt at an elev of 8813 ft MSL. One pax was fatally injured while attempting to evacuate the burning acft. Performance charts indicated the acft was capable of taking off under the prevailing conditions. The plt later reported that turbulence and downdrafts degraded the acft's climb performance. He also indicated the acft was on the verge of stalling throughout the short flt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20CF
- Reported as
- Beech E33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-1203
- Airframe hours
- 3,294
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-K, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fitch, Paul S.
- Registered owner
- Fitch, Paul S.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 4, 1988 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- AXX
- Destination
- PHX · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- AXX · Angel Fire, runway 17, 8,900 × 75 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,300 total · 2,100 in this make and model · 4,100 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.