Beech 35 accident near Belen, NM
On September 29, 2003, a Beech 35 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Belen, NM. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 29, 2003
- Place
- Belen, NM
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.637°N, 106.845°W
- NTSB ID
- 20031003X01652
Official records · DEN03FA157
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 29, 2003, at approximately 0530 mountain daylight time, a Beech 35, N3853N, was destroyed when it impacted the ground after departure, 1.5 miles southwest of Alexander Municipal Airport (E80), Belen, New Mexico. The non-instrumented rated commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was fatally injured. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the night, cross-country flight being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) radar data indicates that the airplane departed and climbed to approximately 300 feet above the ground. According to data recovered from the airplane's Global Positioning System, the pilot initiated his departure roll from runway 21 at 5:28:53. At 5:30:03, the pilot initiated a right turn. According to the data, the airplane's airspeed increased from 93 miles per hour (mph) at the start of the turn to 151 mph at the time of impact. The pilot turned 113 degrees in 22 seconds with a rate of turn calculated to be 5 degrees per second. Standard rate turn is 3 degrees per second. The airplane was found approximately 11 hours 30 minutes later, by an individual driving by on a nearby road. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a commercial certificate with a single engine land rating. He took his last Federal Aviation Administration required flight medical on July 1, 2002; he was issued a third class medical certificate. According to the pilot's flight logbook, he did
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control immediately after takeoff due to spatial disorientation. A factor was the dark night light conditions.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
