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20001130038649A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 182P · Taos, NM · November 30, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 30, 2000 · 09:30 local
Place
Taos, NM
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N21390
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN01FA018
Reported as
Cessna 182P
Reported engine
Continental O470R
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
1,300 total
N21390Registration cancelled Mar 29, 2001 · Cessna 182PS/N 18261604Airframe modelCessna 182P

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On November 30, 2000, at 0940 MST, a Cessna 182P, N21390, was destroyed when it impacted terrain on frazier mountain at the 11,000 foot level, 15 miles northeast of Taos, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal flight operating under title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Taos at 0915 with an intended destination of monte vista, Colorado. According to witnesses located at the Taos ski are, the airplane turned up a canyon across the valley from the ski area and disappeared from view. The wreckage was later spotted against a canyon wall by telescope from the ski area. Winds in the area at the time of the accident were reportedly about 50 knots, snow depth was reportedly about 9 feet. (.4) on November 30, 2000, at 0930 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182P, N21390, was destroyed when it impacted in a side canyon on frazier mountain at 11,300 feet above mean sea level (MSL), approximately 28 miles east of Taos, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and his passenger received fatal inju ries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal flight operating under title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Taos at 0915 with an intended destination of monte vista, Colorado. According to the person in monte vista, who the pilot was going to do business with, the pilot called just prior to take off from Taos and said "they were going to do a little sightseeing en route and would be later than expected." According to witnesses located at the Taos ski area located approximately 1 mile west of the accident site, the airplane turned up a narrow canyon across the valley from the ski area and disappeared from their view while in a steep left turn towards the entrance to the canyon. The wreckage was later spotted against the canyon wall by telescope from the ski area.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON NOVEMBER 30, 2000, AT 0940 MST, A CESSNA 182P, N21390, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN ON FRAZIER MOUNTAIN AT THE 11,000 FOOT LEVEL, 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF TAOS, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TAOS AT 0915 WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF MONTE VISTA, COLORADO. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES LOCATED AT THE TAOS SKI ARE, THE AIRPLANE TURNED UP A CANYON ACROSS THE VALLEY FROM THE SKI AREA AND DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. THE WRECKAGE WAS LATER SPOTTED AGAINST A CANYON WALL BY TELESCOPE FROM THE SKI AREA. WINDS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTEDLY ABOUT 50 KNOTS, SNOW DEPTH WAS REPORTEDLY ABOUT 9 FEET. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 30, 2000, AT 0930 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182P, N21390, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED IN A SIDE CANYON ON FRAZIER MOUNTAIN AT 11,300 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), APPROXIMATELY 28 MILES EAST OF TAOS, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJU RIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TAOS AT 0915 WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF MONTE VISTA, COLORADO. ACCORDING TO THE PERSON IN MONTE VISTA, WHO THE PILOT WAS GOING TO DO BUSINESS WITH, THE PILOT CALLED JUST PRIOR TO TAKE OFF FROM TAOS AND SAID "THEY WERE GOING TO DO A LITTLE SIGHTSEEING EN ROUTE AND WOULD BE LATER THAN EXPECTED." ACCORDING TO WITNESSES LOCATED AT THE TAOS SKI AREA LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE TURNED UP A NARROW CANYON ACROSS THE VALLEY FROM THE SKI AREA AND DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR VIEW WHILE IN A STEEP LEFT TURN TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE TO THE CANYON. THE WRECKAGE WAS LATER SPOTTED AGAINST THE CANYON WALL BY TELESCOPE FROM THE SKI AREA.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN01FA018Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportTaos, NMthe pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering in a narrow canyon. Contributing factors were the down slope winds in excess of 50 knots and the pilot's improper decision to enter the canyon given the wind conditions.Nov 30, 2000 · Destroyed