Beech 77 accident near Stanley, New Mexico, August 12, 2021
On August 12, 2021 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1981 Beech 77, registered N3873Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Stanley, New Mexico (Double Eagle II airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine performance due to lead fouling of the lower spark plugs, which resulted in an off airport forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2021 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stanley, New Mexico · Double Eagle II · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 NO SERIES, built 1981 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N3873Y · no longer on the register · serial WA-265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed an airport at an elevation about 5,800 ft mean sea level (msl), and reported that, upon reaching about 6,700 ft msl, the airplane would not continue to climb. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the right wing impacted a fence post, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that all lower spark plugs were severely lead fouled. According to the manufacturer, severely lead fouled spark plugs can lead to misfiring, resulting in a degradation of engine performance. It is likely that the fouled spark plugs resulted in a loss of engine performance and the airplane’s subsequent inability to maintain altitude.
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
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 6,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,533 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2020; 146 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 6,533 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAEG Albuquerque NM at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KBGD Borger TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04/2, 7,398 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from KAEG, 41 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAEG 121650Z 16003KT 10SM CLR 26/12 A3024=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR21LA316.