Beech 95 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 22, 1995
On October 22, 1995 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Beech 95, registered N661T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Coronado Air Center airport). It was a public-use 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 PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO MAKE A LANDING ON AN UNLIT RUNWAY AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE THE INOPERATIVE RUNWAY LIGHTS, BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS, AND THE PILOT'S ATTENTION BEING DIVERTED DURING THE LANDING FLARE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1995 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Coronado Air Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 · all 95s on the register
- Registration
- N661T · registry record · serial TD-68
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP) PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON THE PILOT-CONTROLLED RUNWAY LIGHTS BUT THEY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. HE DECIDED TO MAKE AN APPROACH TO SEE IF HE COULD LOCATE THE UNLIT RUNWAY. HE SAID THE RUNWAY WAS IN SIGHT AND IN FRONT OF HIM WHEN HE FLARED FOR LANDING. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE MEDIAN BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND STRUCK A RISE IN THE RUNWAY TURNOFF. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED ACROSS THE TAXIWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A HANGAR. CAP INVESTIGATORS FOUND THE RUNWAY LIGHTS MASTER SWITCH TURNED OFF. THEY REPORTED THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER HAD SEEN SOMETHING RUN ACROSS THE RUNWAY WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ON SHORT FINAL. THE PILOT TURNED HIS HEAD LEFT AND REARWARD AND TOLD THE PASSENGER IT WAS PROBABLY A COYOTE. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM A CAP FLIGHT MADE THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THEIR APPROACH, BUT FLOODLIGHTS IN THE HANGAR AREA AS WELL AS THOSE FROM A NEARBY BASEBALL FIELD CAUSED THEIR PILOT'S EYES TO ADJUST, AND CONTACT WITH THE LANDING AREA WAS MOMENTARILY LOST.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,040 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 935 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NM51 Edgewood NM at 12:15 pm
- Destination: 4AC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,010 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from ABQ, 8 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N661T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.