Beech A36 accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, December 23, 1987
On December 23, 1987, a Beech A36, registered N27LH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico (Angel Fire airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. 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
- December 23, 1987
- Place
- Angel Fire, New Mexico · Angel Fire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N27LH · registry record · serial E-375
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PLT AND FIVE PAX WERE RETURNING HOME FROM A SKIING TRIP. DURING TAKEOFF THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A LEFT CROSSWIND FROM 270 DEGREES, AT AN ESTIMATED 40 KNOTS. THE PLT LIFTED OFF EARLY, THEN THE WIND PULLED. THE ACFT STALLED AND IMPACTED RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY, DAMAGING THE MAIN GEAR AND WINGS. THE ACFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN BESIDE THE RUNWAY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,507 hours in all; 1,667 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 2,407 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,719 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 16, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 92F Chattanooga OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 6,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 270° at 25 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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 DEN88LA040.