Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

November 7, 2001 · Raytheon A36 · N1099A

Crownpoint, NM

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
November 7, 2001
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 serious injury), 1 uninjured
Location
Crownpoint, NM
Aircraft
Raytheon A36
Tail Number
N1099A
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
FTW02LA031

The private pilot, who was occupying the left seat, was on an instrument cross-country training flight, accompanied by another private pilot, who occupied the right seat as a safety pilot. As the flight progressed, the left seat pilot complained of feeling ill, telling the safety pilot that he didn't think he could make it to the destination airport and needed a "restroom break." Both pilots then agreed to land at an airport along the route of flight. The left seat pilot relinquished control of the aircraft to the right seat safety pilot. The safety pilot then over flew the runway and determined the wind to be very light. During the landing flare, the airplane began to bank to the left, and when the airplane was no longer over the runway, a go-around was initiated. Power was added and flaps were retracted from 30 degrees to 0 degrees. The airplane failed to climb, subsequently impacting a fence and some poles, coming to rest approximately 200 yards left of the runway. The safety pilot had no experience landing the airplane from the right seat. According to the airplane's pilot operating handbook, when executing a go around, the flaps should not be retracted until all obstacles are cleared.

NTSB Probable Cause

The safety pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing. Contributing factors were the safety pilot's lack of experience flying from the right seat and the improper retraction of the flaps during the attempted go-around.

Full Narrative

On November 7, 2001, at 1600 mountain standard time, a Raytheon A36 single-engine airplane, N1099A, was substantially damaged when it impacted a fence, poles, and terrain during an attempted landing at the Crownpoint Airport, Crownpoint, New Mexico. The airplane was registered to and operated by Mesa Pilot Development, Inc., of Farmington, New Mexico. The private pilot seated in the left seat was not injured, and the private pilot seated in the right seat, who was acting as a safety pilot, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The cross-country instrument training flight departed from the Roswell Airport, Roswell, New Mexico, at 1500, with a destination of Farmington, New Mexico. In a telephone interview with an NTSB investigator, the left seat pilot reported that while en route on the return flight to Farmington, he began to feel ill and informed his safety pilot that he wished to divert and land at the Crownpoint Airport for a "restroom break." He then relinquished control of the aircraft to the safety pilot after both pilots agreed to land at the Crownpoint Airport. The safety pilot overflew the airport and determined the wind to be very light from the north. The safety pilot then entered a left downwind for runway 36. During the landing flare, the aircraft encountered an "uncommanded left bank." When the left seat pilot observed that they were off to the left side of the runway, he yelled to the safety pilot to "go around, go around," at which point power was added and the "flaps were retracted from the 30 degree position to the 10 degree position." As a positive rate of climb was not evident and ground contact imminent, the left seat pilot closed the throttle and pulled the yoke back. The aircraft then impacted terrain, subsequently hitting a fence and poles prior to coming to rest approximately 200 yards west of runway 36. At 1553, the Grant-Milan Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), located 37 nm SSW from Crownpoint, reported the wind from the northwest at 3 to 5 knots. At 1553, the Gallup ASOS, located 32 nm WSW from Crownpoint, reported the wind from 280 degrees at 3 knots. An east-west mountain ridge line separates both Gallup and Grants-Milan from Crownpoint. Examination of the airplane by the chief pilot of the flight school revealed that the left wing tip was "slightly" damaged, the nose landing gear was separated, the right main landing gear had collapsed, and all three propeller blades were bent aft. Additionally, the forward right wing root area sustained structural damage, and an 8-inch indentation to the wing leading edge was located approximately 4 feet outboard of the right wing root. The chief pilot also reported that he found the flaps to be in the fully retracted (zero degree) position. According to the Beechcraft Bonanza A-36 Pilot Operating Handbook, Section IV, Normal Procedures, the balked landing procedure specifies that an airspeed of 80 knots be maintained until clear of obstacles, trim the airplane to normal climbing airspeed, then select Flaps Up (zero degrees). According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, flight control continuity was confirmed. The propeller, throttle, and mixture controls were verified to be operational. According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the right seat safety pilot had accumulated 223 hours total flying time, of which 126 hours were as pilot-in-command in the Beechcraft A36. The left seat pilot had accumulated 201 hours total flying time, with 121 hours as pilot-in-command in the Beechcraft A36. In a telephone interview with an NTSB investigator, the assistant chief pilot of the flight school reported that pilot trainees are not trained to fly the aircraft from the right seat.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time16:00 MST
Nearest AirportCrownpoint Airport (0nm)
Runway36
Runway Length5820 ft
Runway Width60 ft
Flight Plan FiledCvfr
Flight Plan ActivatedYes
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftRaytheon A36
Tail NumberN1099A
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · IO-550-B · Reciprocating · 300
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 serious injury), 1 uninjured
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total2
Crew 1Age 40 · None
Crew 2Age 26 · Serious

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind300° @ 5 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 7000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point55 / 32 C
Altimeter30.11 inHg
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data