Piper PA-46-310P accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, February 19, 1989
On February 19, 1989 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N9092W, 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; 5 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
INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. THE ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS AND SNOWBANK WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1989 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Angel Fire, New Mexico · Angel Fire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9092W · registry record · serial 46860805-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PRIVATE PLT AND FOUR PAX WERE MAKING A PERSONAL IFR FLIGHT. A TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED ON RWY 35, WITH SNOW DRIFTS ON BOTH SIDES. WIND WAS ESTIMATED AS 320 DEG AT 25 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS. THE PILOT SAID THAT AT ROTATION, THE PLANE HIT WIND SHEAR FROM 260 DEG, THAT LIFTED THE LEFT WING. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED BACK ON THE RWY. THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL STRUCK A SNOW BANK AND THE ACFT SPUN LEFT 180 DEG. THE TAIL SECTION WENT THROUGH THE SNOW BANK AND THE PLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. THE PLT SAID THAT WHEN HE EXITED THE ACFT, THE WIND WAS FROM 190 DEG AT AN ESTIMATED 40 KNOTS. A WITNESS VERIFIED A 180 DEG WIND SHIFT AND ESTIMATED THE WIND SPEED AT 40 KNOTS.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,160 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,080 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1988; 413 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-BEI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXX at 11:15 pm
- Destination: EGE Eagle CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 8,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 DEN89LA078.