- Date
- May 11, 1996, 11:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4787VBoeing E75
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 17, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960511010209A
- Case key
- 19837
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 failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the dust devil.
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
Unicom reported, and a flag at the north end of the airport indicated, that the wind was light and variable from the northwest. As the pilot turned on final approach to runway 4, the wind caused the airplane to drift slightly right of the runway centerline. The pilot corrected and made a wheel landing. As speed dissipated below 50 mph and the tail wheel settled to the ground, the airplane shuddered slightly, then veered to the right. Full right aileron, left rudder, and left brake were applied but to no avail. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane went off the right side of the runway into soft dirt, shearing off the left main landing gear. The pilot said another pilot reported seeing a dust devil on the south side of the airport just before the accident occurred.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 1996, approximately 1140 mountain daylight time, a Boeing E75, N4787V, registered to Golden Wings Advertising, Inc., was substantially damaged during landing at Taos, New Mexico. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local air tour flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Taos, New Mexico at approximately 1125.
According to the pilot, Unicom reported the wind to be light and variable from the northwest. As he entered the pattern, a flag at the north end of the airport also indicated the wind was from the northwest. When he turned on final approach, the wind caused the airplane to drift slightly right of the runway centerline. He corrected and made a normal wheel landing on runway 4. As speed dissipated (under 50 mph) and the tail wheel settled to the ground, the airplane "shuddered slightly." The airplane suddenly veered to the right and the right wing rose. Full right aileron and left rudder were applied but to no avail. The left brake was applied and locked but the airplane continued to veer right. The left wing contacted the runway and the airplane went off the right side of the runway into soft dirt, shearing off the left main landing gear. The pilot said another pilot told him that they had seen a dust devil on the south side of the airport just before the accident occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4787V
- Reported as
- Boeing E75
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-5814
- Airframe hours
- 3,300
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Golden Wings Advertising, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 10, 1995 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- SKX
- Airport
- SKX · Taos Municipal, runway 4, 5,798 × 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
- 59
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 17,850 total · 206 in this make and model · 9,720 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4787V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.