Amateur-built Aerolite accident near Los Lunas, New Mexico, June 9, 2009
On June 9, 2009 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Aerolite (ultralight), registered N43598, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Los Lunas, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's fuel mismanagement.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2009 · about 3:30 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Los Lunas, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Aerolite 103
- Registration
- N43598 · no longer on the register · serial AAWI012502115R44
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot was flying his airplane near the home of one of his relatives. The engine "stalled" as he passed over the residence and he decided to land on a gravel road, but changed the intended landing area to an open field. While approaching the field for a landing, the airplane collided with a hidden obstruction. An examination of the airplane and engine was conducted by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The fuel selector was found selected to an empty fuel tank, while the other fuel tank contained approximately 2.5 gallons of fuel. Under supervision by the FAA, the engine was started and ran normally under various power settings. Examination of the airplane and engine did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction.
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
- Fuel starvation during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 571 hours in all; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 427 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E58 Los Lunas NM
- Destination: Los Lunas NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from ABQ, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 28, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Correspondence: Statement from FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N43598 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N43598: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Rotax 503 449 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Bird Dog Airfield · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in New Mexico 1,423 since 1982 · 184 in the last ten years
- New Mexico 3,114 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N43598 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09LA345.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.