Beech 60 accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, February 23, 1995
On February 23, 1995 at about 3:30 am local time, a Beech 60, registered N100BL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 FAILURE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE'S TURBOCHARGER RESULTING IN OIL STARVATION AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE #5 CONNECTING ROD WHICH PENETRATED THE CRANKCASE, AND THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT ENGINE'S TURBOCHARGER RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF POWER ON BOTH ENGINES. FACTORS WERE THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING, DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND UNAPPROVED TURBOCHARGER PARTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1995 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 60 · all 60s on the register
- Registration
- N100BL · no longer on the register · serial P-135
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH FL230 IN DARK NIGHT VMC CONDITIONS, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. SECONDS AFTER THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER. HE THEN ATTEMPTED SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL RESTARTS ON BOTH ENGINES UNTIL REACHING 15,000 MSL, AT WHICH TIME HE FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER. CONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE LEFT ENGINE USING VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF CROSS-FEED, MIXTURE, AND THROTTLE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT THEN EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO ROUGH TERRAIN WITH THE AIRPLANE COMING TO REST 1/3 MILES WEST OF AN AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE #5 CONNECTING ROD FAILED DUE TO OIL STARVATION, AND PENETRATED THE CRANKCASE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TURBOCHARGER TURBINE WHEEL WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM ITS SHAFT. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE ALSO REVEALED A FAILED TURBOCHARGER TURBINE WHEEL SHAFT. TEARDOWN OF BOTH TURBOCHARGER ASSEMBLIES REVEALED EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVELY HIGH TURBINE INLET TEMPERATURES AND BOTH TURBOCHARGERS HAD UNAPPROVED PARTS INSTALLED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 34,000 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 36,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,262 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1994; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,965 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1A4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM at 3:00 am
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.