Morane-Saulnier MS760 N23ST

Summary

On 11 September 1990 at about 10:00 local time, a Morane-Saulnier MS760 registered N23ST, operated by Stonewall Transport, Inc., was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 September 1990 at 10:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Double Eagle Ii (AEG)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Morane-Saulnier MS760

Registration

N23ST

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Stonewall Transport, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Las Cruces

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN90FA184

2 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN A CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, PILOT FATIGUE, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN NIGHT FLYING OPERATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT, A HEART TRANSPLANT SURGEON, WAS ADVISED OF A DONOR IN LAS CRUCES, NM. HE AND A PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT WERE TO FLY TO LAS CRUCES, RETRIEVE THE DONOR HEART, AND RETURN TO ALBUQUERQUE, WHERE THE TRANSPLANT WAS TO BE PERFORMED. THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING (VMC WAS FORECAST) AND FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. HE FUELED THE JET AIRCRAFT TO CAPACITY AND TOOK OFF INTO A DARK, CLEAR, MOONLESS NIGHT TOWARDS OPEN, FLAT TERRAIN WITH FEW GROUND LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED SECONDS LATER. IT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING/NOSE SLIGHTLY LOW ATTITUDE AT HIGH SPEED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINES, INSTRUMENTS, OR CONTROLS. THE PILOT HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR 22 HOURS WITH LITTLE OR NO REST. HE WAS NOT CURRENT FOR NIGHT FLIGHT. HIS IFR CURRENCY COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.