| Crash location | 34.934166°N, 104.634166°W |
| Nearest city | Santa Rosa, NM
34.938670°N, 104.682489°W 2.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N5NM |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 07 Dec 2001 |
| Aircraft type | Beech BE-90-E90 |
| Additional details: | None |
On December 7, 2001, at 2315 mountain standard time, a Beech BE-90-E90, twin-engine airplane, N5NM, registered to and operated by Seven Bar Flying Service, Inc., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was substantially damaged after the landing gear collapsed while landing on runway 01 at the Santa Rosa Route 66 Airport, near Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The instrument rated commercial pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 Air Ambulance flight. The flight originated at 2245 from the Albuquerque International Airport, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The operator reported that after a normal landing on runway 01, the pilot "perceived an aircraft gear failure," reached for the landing gear selector handle to check it, and inadvertently moved the gear handle, collapsing all three landing gears. The pilot was reported to have a total of 8,000 hours, of which approximately 3,000 hours are in the same make and model aircraft.
Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the ventral fin, and structural damage to the wheel wells and portions of the belly of the airplane.
The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll which resulting in the collapse of all 3 landing gears.