Beech BE-90-E90 accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, December 8, 2001
On December 8, 2001 at about 6:15 am local time, a Beech BE-90-E90, registered N5NM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico (Santa Rosa airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll which resulting in the collapse of all 3 landing gears.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2001 · about 6:15 am local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico · Santa Rosa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-90-E90
- Registration
- N5NM · registry record · serial LW237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot perceived a landing gear failure and reached for the landing gear handle to check it during the landing roll. The pilot reported that he inadvertently moved the gear selector handle resulting in the collapse of all three landing gears.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,922 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 21, 2001; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,100 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABQ Albuquerque NM at 5:45 am
- Destination: Q58 Santa Rosa NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 300° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from TCC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.