On May 19, 1972, a Beechcraft 80 Queen Air (registration N841NS) operated by Ross Aviation - USA was involved in an aviation accident near Albuquerque-Sunport, United States of America during takeoff. 9 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Engine failure or malfunction during initial climb and uncontrolled descent. The following factors were reported: - Inadequate preflight preparation, - Inadequate maintenance and inspection, - Deficiency of company maintained equipment, services and… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
An aircraft crashed near Albuquerque Airport after the pilot declared an emergency during initial climb. The plane lost control and dove into a field, killing all nine occupants. Engine failure and multiple factors were cited.
Accident Details
Shortly after takeoff from Albuquerque Airport, while in initial climb, the pilot declared an emergency and was cleared to return when control was lost. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a field near the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be engine failure or malfunction during initial climb and uncontrolled descent. The following factors were reported:
Inadequate preflight preparation
Inadequate maintenance and inspection
Deficiency of company maintained equipment, services, and regulation by operational supervisory personnel
Left front cargo door improperly secured
Blade failure due to foreign object damage
Suspected or known aircraft damage
Forward cargo door not secured, which opened in flight and damaged the left propeller, causing additional drag
Door unsafe system inoperative
These findings highlight multiple issues that contributed to the sequence of events leading to the loss of control and subsequent crash.
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