Beech A23A accident near Holman, New Mexico, March 13, 2007
On March 13, 2007 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Beech A23A, registered N4761J, was destroyed in an accident near Holman, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a safe altitude and clearance, and his improper inflight planning/decision to postpone initiating a climbing turn to avoid obstructions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2007 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Holman, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23A · all A23As on the register
- Registration
- N4761J · no longer on the register · serial M-1022
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a grove of trees and impacted terrain in a near-vertical attitude, just below a state highway, at the 9,186-foot level. Two witnesses reported seeing a low-flying airplane that was "barely clearing the trees." One of the witnesses said the airplane's wheels were about "20 to 50 feet above the trees" and the airplane banked south. They lost sight of the airplane as he rounded a bend in the road. According to the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot and he had flown this route numerous times. Both the pilot and the instructor were familiar with the terrain and the mountain pass. According to the Albuquerque Sectional Chart, the summit of the pass is approximately 10,000 feet msl. Engine disassembly revealed no discrepancies. Data downloaded from a Garmin GPS (Global Positioning System) MAP 195 recovered from the wreckage revealed the airplane had been cruising between 100 and 125 mph. According to NTSB's GPS Specialist's factual report, "The airplane began to slow gradually after passing over Rt. 518. This road lies in the center of a broad north-south oriented valley. The airplane had slowed to approximately 74 mph by the time it reached the coordinates of the last recorded GPS tracklog point. The airplane maintained a near straight line course during this time" and was "entering an area of rising terrain. Information concerning aircraft altitude was not available because the GPSMAP 195 does not calculate and record GPS altitude."
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,625 hours in all; 1,605 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,365 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,153 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-346-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Azusa, LLP
The flight
- Departed from: TCC Tucumcari NM at 8:24 pm
- Destination: 00C Durango CO
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from LVS, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.