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Atlas / NTSB / DEN88LA065

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event DEN88LA065

1988-03-13 RUIDOSO, New Mexico, United States Airport · SRR Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PRIVATE PLT AND TWO PAX ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF AT OR NEAR MAX GWT AT A DENSITY ALT OF 6,500 FT MSL. FULL FUEL HAD BEEN LOADED IN THE RIGHT TANK AND THE PLT INDICATED THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. RWY 24 WAS IN USE WITH A 70 DEGREE X-WIND REPORTED FROM 310 DEGREES AT 14, GUSTING TO 32 KTS. THE TWR OPERATOR SAID THAT ON TAKEOFF 'THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF THEN WENT NOSE HIGH.' THE ACFT WENT OUT OF SIGHT OFF THE END OF RWY. TWICE, THE RIGHT WING DROPPED TOWARD THE RWY AS THE NOSE WENT HIGH. WITNESSES REPORT THAT THE ACFT NEVER CLIMBED ABOVE 25 FT AGL. THE ACFT STRUCK THE TOP WIRE OF THE ARPT FENCE AT FOUR FT AGL PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE ACFT STRUCK TREES BEYOND THE END OF RWY 24 AND BOTH WINGS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_DEN88LA065.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.