- Date
- December 29, 1989, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Tularosa, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9KBeech 35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891229054389A
- Case key
- 17877
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
The pilot's VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to see and avoid the road sign during the precautionary landing. The adverse weather was a realted factor.
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
Before takeoff, the plt rcvd a wx briefing & was warned of marginal wx conds along the route. While in flt, he inadvertently flew into IMC & elected to land on a paved road. He rprtd that during the landing, he 'failed to see a highway marker at the edge of the pavement' & the acft's left wing tip hit the marker & was damaged. According to the plt, the wx in the precautionary landing area was: 500 to 1000 ft ovc, vis 4 mi with light rain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9K
- Reported as
- Beech 35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D19
- Airframe hours
- 7,669
- Engine
- Continental E-185-11, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Griffin, Thomas E.
- Registered owner
- Griffin, Thomas E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1989 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- ABO · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- ALM · Alamogordo, NM
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,808 total · 1,808 in this make and model · 1,776 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HMN, 35 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.