Beech A36 accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, July 26, 1985
On July 26, 1985 at about 11:00 am local time, a Beech A36, registered N130T, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1985 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N130T · registry record · serial E-304
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT DEPARTED DALHART, TX ON A NIGHT X-COUNTRY TO QUEMEDO, NM. EN ROUTE HE STOPPED AND PICKED UP A FRIEND AT HEREFORD, TX. HE DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN. HE WAS LOST OFF OF RADAR JUST WEST OF SANTA ROSA, NM, WHERE THE WRECKAGE WAS LATER FOUND. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PLT WITH HIS PAX FRIEND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,031 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,871 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 1984; 102 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hereford TX at 10:30 am
- Destination: Quemedo NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 16 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N130T 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 DEN85FA200.