Taos Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Taos, New Mexico 87571
Sunday, March 29, 1992 19:00 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED SLIGHTLY RISING TERRAIN IN A 15 DEGREE LEFT BANK, SLIGHT NOSE UP ATTITUDE WHILE DESCENDING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF IN DARK NIGHT IMC. THERE WERE RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AREA AND IT WAS DEVOID OF VISIBLE GROUND REFERENCE LIGHTS. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TAKEOFF HEADING AND THE IMPACT HEADING WAS 75 DEGREES AND THE AIRPLANE HAD TRAVELED 3,987 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AT INITIAL IMPACT. THE WRECKAGE SUBSEQUENTLY TRAVELED AN ADDITIONAL 837 FEET THROUGH THE BRUSH. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL IN ALL ASPECTS AND ALL OF THE AIRPLANE SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. HE STATED THAT THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERED WAS PASSING THROUGH 8,500 FEET WITH A RATE OF CLIMB OF 1,500 FEET PER MINUTE. THE AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 7,091 FEET. HE DID NOT RECALL THE RADIO ALTIMETER ALERT OR THE WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATING. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. RESCUE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE DELAYED DUE TO THE WEATHER, DARKNESS, AND SPURIOUS ELT SIGNALS MASKED BY THE WRECKAGE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE CLIMB AFTER DEPARTING THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT. FACTORS WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE DARK NIGHT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/29/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City TAOS
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 87571
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TAOS MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SKX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 13
Airport Elevation 7091
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 5
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1969
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46709
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:47PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N111FL
NTSB Number FTW92FA099
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Rockwell
Aircraft Model 690A
Aircraft Series Identifier 690A
Aircraft Serial Number 11163
Certified Max Gross Weight 9000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 9 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 24
Airframe Hours 3404
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LEGAL AIR FLIGHT SERVICES, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 920 NW PERIMETER ROAD
Aircraft Owner City TROUTDALE
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 97060
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LEGAL AIR FLIGHT SERVICES, INC
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 920 NW PERIMETER ROAD
Operator City TROUTDALE
Operator State OR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 97060
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1900
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RVS
Destination City TULSA
Destination State OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 4
Runway Length 5798
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --