Swearingen SA26AT accident near Ruidoso, New Mexico, February 22, 1984
On February 22, 1984 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Swearingen SA26AT, registered N17JJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ruidoso, New Mexico (Ruidoso Municipal airport). It was an executive or corporate 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1984 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ruidoso, New Mexico · Ruidoso Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA26AT · all SA26ATs on the register
- Registration
- N17JJ · registry record · serial 166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LANDED WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. THE PLT REPORTED THAT 'DUE TO MODERATE LOW LEVEL TURBULENCE, THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE DID NOT REACH THE FULL DOWN POSITION.' HE STATED THAT HIS PASSENGER WAS SICK DUE TO TURBULENCE.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,100 hours in all; 2,600 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 3,980 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,161 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 9, 1983; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-1-151G (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADM Ardmore OK at 7:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from RUI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.