# Accident 19980725017579A: Cessna 182P, Jal, NM, July 25, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 25, 1998, 16:10 local time
- Place: Jal, NM
- Airport: Lea County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.1090° N, 103.1800° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.1090&lon=-103.1800&mi=10
- Aircraft: N58870, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N58870-2013-04-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182P (registry code 2075816, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182P
- Reported engine: CONT O470R
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98FA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA333) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980725017579A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) A WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A LEFT TURN BUT BEFORE THE TURN WAS COMPLETED, `IT WENT FLAT DOWN ON ITS BELLY...LIKE A PANCAKE.' THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN BURST INTO FLAMES. THE COMPUTED DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 5,538  FEET MSL.  IT WAS ESTIMATED THE AIRPLANE WAS SLIGHTLY OVERWEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BU THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS WITHIN LIMITS.     (-23) ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS STATEMENTS, N58870 HAD BEEN PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT THE JAL AIRPORT ON THE NORTH/SOUTH RUNWAY (TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTH LEFT HAND PATTERNS). ON ABOUT THE FOURTH OR FIFTH TOUCH AND GO, WITNESSES STATED THAT IT APPEARED THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT MAKING AS MUCH POWER AS THE PRIOR TAKEOFFS. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WAS NOT SMOKING OR POPPING AND SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE RUNNING SMOOTHLY, JUST NOT AS LOUD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTEDLY IN A SHALLOW CLIMB WITH AN EXTREMELY NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE MAKING A TIGHT PATTERN TO LAND ON THE EAST WEST RUNWAY AT JAL AIRPORT (APPROACH FROM THE EAST). WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BANKED TO THE LEFT, AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF LESS THAN 100 FEET, AND THEN SUDDENLY FELL FLAT TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT BURST INTO FLAMES IN SECONDS. INSPECTION OF THE CRASH SIT E INDICATES THE WITNESS ACCOUNTS ARE CORRECT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 50 YARDS BEFORE CROSSING A ROW OF POWER LINES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98FA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA333), Jul 25, 1998: Cessna 182P (N58870), Jal, NM, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed. Contributing factors were high density altitude and excessive airplane weight.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.