ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Pilot error probably caused a fatal airplane crash in a northern New Mexico mountain pass as the pilot headed to Colorado, federal investigators say.
Layton Frederic Lewis, 61, of Farmers Branch, Texas, was the only person aboard the 1967 Beech A23A when it plowed into trees March 13 a mile northwest of Holman, killing him.
He failed to maintain a safe altitude and clearance and made an improper decision to delay the start of a climbing turn to avoid obstructions, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Lewis began his flight in Roanoke, Texas, refueled in Tucumcari and was en route to Durango, Colo., where he planned to check on some property he owned and visit friends, the NTSB said.
He had flown the route many times, the agency said in a report released Wednesday.
The airplane gradually slowed after passing over N.M. 518, which is in the center of a valley running north-south, the NTSB said.
The Beech slowed to about 74 mph, was flying straight ahead and was entering higher terrain just before it crashed at an elevation of 9,186 feet next to N.M. 518, the NTSB said.
A pair of witnesses reported seeing a low-flying airplane, and one of them told investigators the airplane’s wheels were 20-50 feet above the trees.
The weather was clear at the time, and investigators found no problems with the airplane’s engine, the NTSB said.
A state police helicopter found the wreckage the morning after the crash.
Lewis, a commercial pilot, had logged 1,398 hours of flight time in a Beech A23A, the NTSB said.
