- Date
- November 8, 1983, 20:18 local (Nov 9, 1983, 03:18 UTC)
- Place
- Clines Corners, NM
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4116BAero Commander 520
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831108059459A
- Case key
- 21079
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 non-instrument rated plt was on ferry flt from bartlesville, ok to ontario, CA. An en route stop was made at tucumcari, NM, where the acft was refueled & 14 qts of oil was added to the left eng. The line boy who serviced the acft saw no visible oil leaks or spillage around the eng. While on the next leg of the flt, the acft crashed near interstate highway 40. Two witnesses that saw the crash stated rain was falling, the wind was blowing very strong & there were low ceilings. Reportedly, a squall line was moving thru the area & there was moderate to severe turbulence. An exam of the wreckage revealed the acft had crashed in a steep nose down attitude, with 20 to 30 deg left bank & at high speed. No preimpact, mechanical failures were found & both engs had evidence that they were operating during impact. The wx briefer said the plt indicated he would fly around the area of precipitation & remain VFR. Radar info showed the plt had been following the interstate highway & varying his alt between 7900 & 6300 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4116B
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 520
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 520-20
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-435-C2B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Raymond M. Tolles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special flight (Special)
- Departed
- TCC · Tucumcari, NM
- Destination
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 625 total · 95 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TCC, 91 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.