# Accident 20010726020539A: Cessna 172N, Farmington, NM, July 26, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 26, 2001, 19:30 local time - Place: Farmington, NM - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Low Level Operations - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.7490° N, 108.1796° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7490&lon=-108.1796&mi=10 - Aircraft: N181SP, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N181SP-2017-05-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Reported engine: LYC O320H2AD - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 78 total, 74 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN01LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA129) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010726020539A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON JULY 26, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 MDT, N181SP, A CESSNA 172 DEPARTED FARMINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON LOCAL FLIGHT. THIS WAS THE SECOND FLIHGT OF THE DAY FOR THE PRIVATE PILOT, MR. RYAN DANIEL CROWE. HE STATED AT ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT HE WAS FLYING AT AROUND 500 FT AGL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "SPUTTER" AND LOSE POWER. HE SPOTTED A ROAD AND BANKED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT TO LINE UP FOR THE ROAD AND STRUCK AN OVERHEAD POWERLINE WITH THE RIGHT WING. AFTER STRIKING THE POWERLINE THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING NORMALLY AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PROCEED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT FELT SLUGGISH AND HANDLED POORLY. THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB OVER A HILL AND STRUCK SOME TREES WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO REACH A ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE WITH THE LEFT WING AND CAME TO REST ON THE ROADWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND ONE PASSENGER RECIEVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. (.4) ON JULY 26, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1930 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N181SP, OPERATED BY SB AVIATION GROUP, INC., DOING BUSINESS AS SEVEN BAR FOUR CORNERS, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES DURING CRUISE FL IGHT NEAR FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 49 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO, AT APPROXIMATELY 1900. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S ACCIDENT REPORT, HE WAS FLYING 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "STUTTER." BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, HE FLEW WEST TOWARDS THE ARKANSAS LOOP, AN OIL FIELD ROAD. AS HE BANKED RIGHT TOWARDS THE ROAD, HE CALLED THE FARMINGTON CONTROL TOWER BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. HE CHECKED THE CARBURETOR HEAT, MIXTURE, AND FUEL SELECTOR FOR PROPER POSITIONS. AS THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED THE BANK, HE FELT A "HARD JERK" AND HEARD A "SCREECHING NOISE." HIS PASSENGER TOLD HIM THEY HAD STRUCK A POWER LINE. THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER MOMENTARILY AND THE PILOT, AGAIN, TRIED CONTACTING THE FARMINGTON CONTROL TOWER TO NO AVAIL. AFTER INSPECTING THE AIRPLANE DAMAGE, HE DECIDED TO PROCEED TO THE AZTEC AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOW 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND HE REALIZED IT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLIMB. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING, BUT STRUCK TREES SHORT OF THE ROAD ON WHICH HE INTENDED TO LAND. THE AIRPLANE THEN STRUCK THE ROAD, SKIDDED, AND STRUCK ANOTHER TREE. THE IMPACT SPUN THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND IT CAME TO A HALT. BOTH WINGS AND THE EMPENNAGE WERE EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE, THERE WAS 3.5 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT WING TANK AND 15.0 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE LEFT TANK (THE PILOT TOLD THE INSPECTOR HE HAD SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK AFTER STRIKING THE POWER LINE BECAUSE HE WAS CONCERNED HE WOULD LEAK FUEL FROM THE DAMAGE WING TANK). THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS OF THE VENTED FUEL TANK CAPS. FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY HAD NOT BEEN COMPROMISED. THE INSPECTOR SURMISED THAT THE POWER INTERRUPTION RESULTED FROM A FUEL PICKUP LINE BECOMING UNPORTED DURING THE BANK. ## 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 DEN01LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA129), Jul 27, 2001: Cessna 172N (N181SP), Farmington, NM, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the powerline while descending for an emergency landing. A contributing factor was the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. 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.