Beechcraft 95 N661T

Summary

On 22 October 1995 at about 12:40 local time, a Beechcraft 95 registered N661T was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 October 1995 at 12:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Coronado Air Center (4AC)

Coordinates

35.1802, -106.5894

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95

Registration

N661T

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Edgewood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

FTW96TA021

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO MAKE A LANDING ON AN UNLIT RUNWAY AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE THE INOPERATIVE RUNWAY LIGHTS, BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS, AND THE PILOT'S ATTENTION BEING DIVERTED DURING THE LANDING FLARE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP) PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON THE PILOT-CONTROLLED RUNWAY LIGHTS BUT THEY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. HE DECIDED TO MAKE AN APPROACH TO SEE IF HE COULD LOCATE THE UNLIT RUNWAY. HE SAID THE RUNWAY WAS IN SIGHT AND IN FRONT OF HIM WHEN HE FLARED FOR LANDING. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE MEDIAN BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND STRUCK A RISE IN THE RUNWAY TURNOFF. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED ACROSS THE TAXIWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A HANGAR. CAP INVESTIGATORS FOUND THE RUNWAY LIGHTS MASTER SWITCH TURNED OFF. THEY REPORTED THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER HAD SEEN SOMETHING RUN ACROSS THE RUNWAY WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ON SHORT FINAL. THE PILOT TURNED HIS HEAD LEFT AND REARWARD AND TOLD THE PASSENGER IT WAS PROBABLY A COYOTE. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM A CAP FLIGHT MADE THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THEIR APPROACH, BUT FLOODLIGHTS IN THE HANGAR AREA AS WELL AS THOSE FROM A NEARBY BASEBALL FIELD CAUSED THEIR PILOT'S EYES TO ADJUST, AND CONTACT WITH THE LANDING AREA WAS MOMENTARILY LOST.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.