Beech 200 incident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, March 24, 2007
On March 24, 2007 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Beech 200, registered N771HC, suffered minor damage in an incident near Angel Fire, New Mexico (Angel Fire airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain clearance from the snow bank. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to perform a go-around/missed approach procedure after observing snow removal equipment on the runway, the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making, the lack of NOTAMs for runway conditions, and the contaminated runway environment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2007 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Angel Fire, New Mexico · Angel Fire · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N771HC · no longer on the register · serial BB-147
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was performing an instrument approach on runway 17. He reported his position on the common traffic advisory frequency at 20 miles north, 10 miles north, and on a three mile final. About two miles from the approach end of the runway the pilot saw a snow plow on the northern end of the runway moving further north. The pilot maneuvered the airplane laterally to avoid over flying the snow plow and selected a touch down point 1,000 feet beyond the snow plow. Pictures of the accident airplane and runway environment, taken immediately after the accident, illustrate a swath of unplowed snow in the middle of the runway. During the landing roll, the left wing contacted the swath of snow, resulting in substantial damage. The driver of the snow plow was carrying a Unicom radio and did not hear the position reports from the pilot. No NOTAMS were issued for snow removal activity or runway conditions. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,649 hours in all; 1,276 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 6,762 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,308 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWA Oklahoma City OK at 3:10 pm
- Destination: AXX Angel Fire NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 8,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KSKX, 18 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.