Amateur-built BEARHAWK accident near Double Eagle Airport, New Mexico, September 27, 2008
On September 27, 2008 at about 5:00 pm local time, a amateur-built BEARHAWK, registered N1685, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Double Eagle Airport, New Mexico (Double Eagle II Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot flared high and failed to maintain directional control. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's unfamiliarity with the airplane and the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2008 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Double Eagle Airport, New Mexico · Double Eagle II Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BEARHAWK
- Registration
- N1685 · registry record · serial 030-53/54-704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a visual approach, the private pilot recognized a quartering crosswind for the landing runway. The pilot elected to continue the landing for experience since he had only nine previous landings in this airplane. According to the pilot "I either flared high or allowed the airplane to balloon up after the flare. The airplane dropped maybe three feet after the stall, and after the bounce, it came back to the runway in a slight crab." The pilot attempted to correct for the drift, but the airplane departed the left side of the runway and ground looped. The pilot was not injured. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right gear had collapsed and the right wing spar had bent.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Decision related to condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,179 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,156 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-360 EXP (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: aeg Double Eagle Ai NM
- Destination: AEG Double Eagle NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 7,398 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N1685 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN08CA164.