Agusta Spa A109E accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 10, 2009
On June 10, 2009 at about 3:35 am local time, a Agusta Spa A109E (helicopter), registered N606SP, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe Municipal Airport). It was a public-use flight (state) under public-use (government) rules. 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to take off from a remote, mountainous landing site in dark (moonless) night, windy, instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident were an organizational culture that prioritized mission execution over aviation safety and the pilot's fatigue, self-imposed pressure to conduct the flight, and situational stress. Also contributing to the accident were deficiencies in the NMSP aviation section's safety-related policies, including lack of a requirement for a risk assessment at any point during the mission; inadequate pilot staffing; lack of an effective fatigue management program for pilots; and inadequate procedures and equipment to ensure effective communication between airborne and ground personnel during search and rescue missions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2009 · about 3:35 am local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Agusta Spa A109E · all A109Es on the register
- Registration
- N606SP · no longer on the register · serial 11209
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-11/04. On June 9, 2009, about 2135 mountain daylight time, an Agusta S.p.A. A-109E helicopter, N606SP, impacted terrain following visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; a highway patrol officer who was acting as a spotter during the accident flight was seriously injured. The entire aircraft was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety and operated by the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) on a public search and rescue mission under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The helicopter departed its home base at Santa Fe Municipal Airport, Santa Fe, New Mexico, about 1850 in visual meteorological conditions; instrument meteorological conditions prevailed when the helicopter departed the remote landing site about 2132.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of visual reference during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Clouds › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Decision related to condition
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Culture › Safety › Operator
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › (general) › Pilot
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Operator
- factor Environmental issues › Task environment › Pressures/demands › (general) › Effect on personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Emergency locator beacon › Not specified other cases naming the cabin, seats and restraints
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › (general) › Not specified other cases naming the instruments and avionics
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PW206C (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PW206C (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: New Mexico State Police
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM
- Destination: SAF Santa Fe NM
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from SAF, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
36 documents, released by the NTSB on November 29, 2010. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N606SP 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
- N606SP: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Agusta Spa A109 107 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Agusta Spa 160 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W Canada PW206C 43 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: P&W Canada PW206C 43 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Santa FE Regional · nearest airport
- 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 N606SP 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/CEN09PA348.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.