Elliott Cirrus VK30 accident near Watrous, NM
On August 27, 2007, an Elliott Cirrus VK30 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Watrous, NM. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 27, 2007
- Place
- Watrous, NM
- Aircraft
- Elliott Cirrus VK30 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.723°N, 104.995°W
- NTSB ID
- 20070904X01306
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 27, 2007, approximately 1610 mountain daylight time, an Elliott Cirrus VK30, N60GE, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Watrous, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, who was also the owner and co-builder of the airplane, and a pilot-rated passenger (spouse) on board the airplane were fatally injured. The cross-country flight originated in Liberal (LBL), Kansas, at 1544 central daylight time, and was en route to Double Eagle II Airport (AEG), Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to the New Mexico State Police report, witnesses reported seeing the airplane "flying at an odd angle" and trailing smoke. A FAA aviation safety inspector and a Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) air safety investigator who went to the accident site described it as an open field and suitable for a forced landing. They reported finding impressions in the ground consistent with the landing gear being down. There were 3 propeller strike marks in the earth at the point of touchdown. Using a side-view scale drawing of the airplane, it was determined that the airplane had at least an 11 to 12 degree nose-up angle at the point of touchdown. The wreckage path, from initial impact point to the final resting point, was strewn with airplane parts that had been exposed to fire. Several airplane pieces, mostly from the engine area, were scattered near and prior to th
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a forced landing that resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the ruptured pressurized oil line.
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
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
