Canadair CT-133 accident near Roswell, New Mexico, May 4, 1990
On May 4, 1990 at about 8:49 pm local time, a Canadair CT-133, registered N233RK, was destroyed in an accident near Roswell, New Mexico (Roswell Industrial Air Ct airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S PERFORMANCE OF AEROBATIC MANEUVERS THAT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE WING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 1990 · about 8:49 pm local time
- Place
- Roswell, New Mexico · Roswell Industrial Air Ct · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CT-133
- Registration
- N233RK · no longer on the register · serial 273
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS ON PROMOTIONAL FLIGHT FOR MEDIA PERSONNEL THE DAY BEFORE 'SPECTACULAR AIR SHOW' WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN. PAX WAS LOCAL RADIO STATION MANAGER AND NEWLY RATED PRIVATE PLT, WHO TOLD GROUND CREW HE HOPED THE PILOT WOULD DEMONSTRATE AEROBATICS. WITNESSES SAW ACFT PERFORMING AEROBATICS 7 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. ACFT IMPACTED DESERT TERRAIN AND EXPLODED. BOTH TIP TANKS, OUTBOARD WING PANELS, AND AILERONS WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 1-1/4 MILE FROM MAIN IMPACT AREA. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION DISCLOSED CATASTROPHIC WING SPAR FAILURE DUE TO NEGATIVE BENDING OVERLOAD. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF AT LEAST ONE OVER-TRAVEL UP AND ONE OVER-TRAVEL DOWN OF BOTH AILERONS. NO PRE-EXISTING OR FATIGUE CRACKS, OR EVIDENCE OF AILERON FLUTTER WAS FOUND.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 11,965 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce NENE-10 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Red Knight Air Shows
The flight
- Departed from: ROW Roswell NM at 8:42 pm
- Destination: ROW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from ROW, 17 miles away
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.