Beech 1900D accident near Farmington, New Mexico, December 15, 1994
On December 15, 1994 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N39ZV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, New Mexico (Four Corners Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
GROUND PERSONNEL FAILED TO PROPERLY SECURE THE CARGO DOOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1994 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, New Mexico · Four Corners Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N39ZV · no longer on the register · serial UE-39
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE AIRPLANE ROTATED FOR LIFTOFF, THE AFT CARGO DOOR OPENED AND A PIECE OF BAGGAGE FELL ONTO THE RUNWAY. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION DISCLOSED DAMAGE TO THE PRESSURE VESSEL AND DORSAL FIN. THE CREW REPORTED THAT THE CARGO LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED; HOWEVER, IT DID ILLUMINATE WHEN THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO PRESSURIZE THE AIRCRAFT. A CHECK OF THE CARGO DOOR AFTER LANDING DEMONSTRATED THAT THE LIGHT INDICATION OPERATED AS DESIGNED.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 160 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,314 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 6, 1994; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,950 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMN at 5:40 pm
- Destination: DRO Durango CO
- Runway 7, 6,702 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from FMN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 13 |
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.