- Date
- August 13, 1989, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3077XBeech A36
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890813028879A
- Case key
- 17766
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 use of the mixture control by the pilot during takeoff which resulted in fuel starvation. Rough/uneven terrain contributed to the aircraft damage.
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 pilot stated that he leaned the mixture prior to takeoff. The density altitude was about 9300 ft. after takeoff, the engine sputtered and the pilot increased the mixture to full rich. However, the engine lost power and a forced landing was made on rough, desert terrain. The operator's manual for this aircraft specified that takeoff should be made with the mixture set at full rich, regardless of the altitude, since 'the engine-driven altitude compensating fuel pump will automatically lean engine mixture.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3077X
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-2379
- Airframe hours
- 186
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henry, Hunter W.
- Registered owner
- Henry, Hunter W., Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 1989 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- SAF
- Destination
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- SAF · Santa Fe Muni, runway 33, 6,304 × 150 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 457 total · 146 in this make and model · 331 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAF, 3 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.