North American T-28D accident near Tatum, New Mexico, May 10, 1987
On May 10, 1987, a North American T-28D, registered N9611C, was destroyed in an accident near Tatum, 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1987
- Place
- Tatum, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T-28D · all T-28Ds on the register
- Registration
- N9611C · registry record · serial 49-1673A
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO FRIENDS OF THE PLT, THE ACFT LEFT ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO, WITH 2 PEOPLE ABOARD AFTER AN AIRSHOW WITH A DESTINATION OF LOVINGTON, NM. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING IN THE DISTANCE AND THEN OBSERVED A BIG CLOUD OF DUST RISING FROM THE GROUND. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT HIGH SPEED AND WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS/FAILURES COULD BE DETERMINED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,574 hours in all; 219 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,413 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1987; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Wright R-1820-7613 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROW Roswell NM at 10:15 pm
- Destination: E06 Lovington NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 DEN87FA121.