Beech A36 accident near Farmington, New Mexico, March 15, 2005
On March 15, 2005 at about 8:33 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N435P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, New Mexico (Four Corners Regional Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall and loss of control. Contributing factors were wind gusts, instructor's delay in taking remedial action, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2005 · about 8:33 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, New Mexico · Four Corners Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N435P · no longer on the register · serial E-2718
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that his student was performing a short-field takeoff on runway 25. He stated that once the airplane became airborne, he "noted that the pitch was a bit high." He stated that the pitch continued to increase and the airplane rolled to the right and then to the left. The instructor stated that he took control of the airplane and decreased the angle of attack and rolled the wings level. The airplane continued to descend and impacted the left side of the runway, bouncing several times, causing substantial damage. According to the METAR (aviation routine weather report) taken at 1353, the winds were reported as 220 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,137 hours in all; 653 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,944 as pilot in command; 1,330 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 25, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 46 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,773.7 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 15, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 - B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Pilot Development, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: FMN Farmington NM at 8:33 pm
- Destination: FMN Farmington NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,704 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KFMN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N435P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.