Roswell Industrial Air Ct Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Roswell, New Mexico 88201
Friday, May 4, 1990 14:49 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACFT WAS ON PROMOTIONAL FLIGHT FOR MEDIA PERSONNEL THE DAY BEFORE 'SPECTACULAR AIR SHOW' WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN. PAX WAS LOCAL RADIO STATION MANAGER AND NEWLY RATED PRIVATE PLT, WHO TOLD GROUND CREW HE HOPED THE PILOT WOULD DEMONSTRATE AEROBATICS. WITNESSES SAW ACFT PERFORMING AEROBATICS 7 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. ACFT IMPACTED DESERT TERRAIN AND EXPLODED. BOTH TIP TANKS, OUTBOARD WING PANELS, AND AILERONS WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 1-1/4 MILE FROM MAIN IMPACT AREA. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION DISCLOSED CATASTROPHIC WING SPAR FAILURE DUE TO NEGATIVE BENDING OVERLOAD. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF AT LEAST ONE OVER-TRAVEL UP AND ONE OVER-TRAVEL DOWN OF BOTH AILERONS. NO PRE-EXISTING OR FATIGUE CRACKS, OR EVIDENCE OF AILERON FLUTTER WAS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S PERFORMANCE OF AEROBATIC MANEUVERS THAT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE WING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/4/1990
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1449
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ROSWELL
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 88201
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ROSWELL INDUSTRIAL AIR CT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ROW
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 3669
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1450 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 341
Weather Observation Facility ID ROW
Elevation of weather observation facility 3669
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 17
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 4806
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1059
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 4 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1641
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42279
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:58PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N233RK
NTSB Number DEN90FA104
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CANADAIR
Aircraft Model CT-133
Aircraft Series Identifier CT-133
Aircraft Serial Number 273
Certified Max Gross Weight 11965
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FRANK C. SANDERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7000 MERRILL AVE. BOX 32
Aircraft Owner City CHINO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91710
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RED KNIGHT AIR SHOWS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ROW
Departure City ROSWELL
Departure State NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 1442
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code ROW
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --