Amateur-built RANS S-6 accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, July 22, 2009
On July 22, 2009 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S-6, registered N410BT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Santa Rosa, New Mexico (Santa Rosa Route 66 Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2009 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico · Santa Rosa Route 66 Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S-6
- Registration
- N410BT · no longer on the register · serial 01041544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was taking off from a 4,294-foot-long runway for an initial takeoff. The sport pilot reported to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the airplane stopped climbing and then nosed over and fell back to the runway. The airplane touched down in a nose-low attitude near the mid-field of the runway, breaking off the nose gear. The airplane rolled off the right side of the runway before nosing over and coming to rest in the inverted position. The airport was located at 4,292 feet mean sea level, with an estimated density altitude of 7,400 feet at the time of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSXU Santa Rosa NM at 6:30 pm
- Destination: KSXU Santa Rosa NM
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 26, 4,294 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 6:28 pm from KLVS, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.