Amateur-built FALCON C accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, January 18, 1987
On January 18, 1987 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built FALCON C, registered N918AA, was destroyed in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Coronado airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- January 18, 1987 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Coronado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built FALCON C
- Registration
- N918AA · registry record · serial AA1A000003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF THE PLT INITIATED A STEEP NOSE UP LEFT CLIMBING TURN TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FT AGL WHERE THE ACFT STALLED. IT ENTERED A SPIN AND DESCENDED IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE STUDENT PLT WAS FATALLY INJURED.
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: student
- Flight time: 278 hours in all; 278 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 278 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 222 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1985; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 526 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AC Albuquerque NM at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:48 pm from ABQ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 DEN87FA043.