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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.

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NTSB Report

August 26, 2007 · Adams Airborne Australia O · N7068U

Taos, NM

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 26, 2007
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 fatality)
Location
Taos, NM
Aircraft
Adams Airborne Australia O
Tail Number
N7068U
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
DEN07LA145

Several hikers saw the airplane fly past them at low altitude and into a gorge. They videotaped the pilot waving at them. They said the airplane disappeared below the lip of the gorge, and then they heard the sound of impact. Several hikers climbed down the canyon wall and proceeded to the wreckage while others notified authorities. The accident site was approximately 300 feet above the canyon floor. Examination of the airplane revealed it was either turning or spinning at the moment of impact. Flight control continuity was established and no systems anomalies were noted. Another pilot said he noticed mountain wave-type winds in that area of the canyon, making turbulence likely. The accident pilot had flown in the canyon before, and was known to fly at low airspeeds and altitudes. The pilot had been warned by other pilots that it was not safe to fly in the canyon in a light aircraft.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's intentional low altitude flight in a confined area and an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors in this accident were the blind/box canyon and the aircraft's low airspeed.

Full Narrative

On August 25, 2007, approximately 1940 mountain daylight time, an Adams' Airborne Australia Outback Wizard 3, N7068U, piloted by a non-certificated pilot, was destroyed when it struck a canyon wall while maneuvering on the west side of the Rio Pueblo Canyon, nine mile southwest of Taos, 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 (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was fatally injured. The local flight originated from the pilot's private airstrip near Taos at an undetermined time. An FAA Aviation Safety Inspector went to the accident site. According to his report (FAA Form 8020-23), the airplane flew past some hikers in the Taos Gorge at low altitude and they videotaped the pilot waving at them. They said the airplane disappeared below the lip of the gorge, and then they heard the sound of impact. Several hikers climbed down the canyon wall and proceeded to the wreckage while others notified authorities. The accident site was at the end of County Road 110, approximately 300 feet above the canyon floor. The inspector said his examination of the airplane revealed it was either turning or spinning at the moment of impact. Flight control continuity was established and no systems anomalies were noted. The FAA inspector's report indicated the pilot had been warned by other pilots that it was not safe to fly in the canyon in a light aircraft. Another pilot said he noticed mountain wave-type winds in that area of the canyon, making turbulence likely. The accident pilot had flown in the canyon before, and was known to fly at low airspeeds and altitudes.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time19:40 MDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAdams Airborne Australia O
Tail NumberN7068U
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsRotax · 582DC · Reciprocating · 65
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 fatality)
Fatal1
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 71 · None · Fatal

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind230° @ 10 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point34 C
Altimeter30.19 inHg
Observation Time01:55
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data