What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 16, 2025, at about 1131 local time Bellanca 17-30A super viking was performing flight training when it lost power striking powerlines and impacted terrain near Moriarty Municipal Airport (0E0), Moriarty, new Mexico and no flight plan was filed. One occupant, a private pilot, sustained fatal injuries. The second occupant, a certified flight instructor, was seriously injured and the airplane was destroyed.
The airplane departed 1N1 at 1059 and proceeded to the north. About 9 minutes into the flight, the airplane turned to the south and continued to climb. The airplane overflew 0E0 and flew west in preparations to land on runway 26. The aircraft performed a touch and go then climbed out. While climbing out the aircraft made a left turn, turning 180 degrees on a return path. A radio call to Moriarty stating loss of engine power was reported. While returning and descending the airplane struck powerlines and impacted terrain about 2 miles southeast of the airport. The airplane came to rest upright and there was no post-crash fire.
On September 16, 2025, the FAA arrived on scene at 1630. We secured the scene and began investigating the accident and taking photographs. Aircraft was found in a field and the landing gear had been sheared off. The engine was separated from aircraft and sitting 30 feet from the fuselage.
On September 17, 2025, the FAA arrived on scene with the NTSB and continued investigating the accident. The flight controls were checked for continuity, and continuity was verified for all flight controls. The fuel system main selector valve was set to the right main tank, this was also photographed on 09/16/2025, and continuity through the main fuel selector was verified. The right main fuel tank was completely empty while the left main tank was full. The left-wing auxiliary fuel tanks were damaged and leaking from the accident. The right-wing auxiliary tanks were exposed but not damaged or leaking.
On September 18, 2025, the FAA and NTSB arrived on scene inspecting the engine and propeller, also the aircraft was defueled. When the aircraft was defueled, there was 16.5 gallons removed from the right auxiliary tank, and 0 gallons removed from the right main tank. 3.5 gallons was removed from the left main tank and 6.75 gallons from the left auxiliary tank. The propeller had marks and bent blades consistent with a non-rotating unit. The engine cylinders had compression, the timing of the magneto’s was verified good and a spark test on the standard magneto was verified good. There was oil in the engine. The fuel pump was removed, and operation was smooth. The fuel pump drive coupling was intact and working properly. The fuel lines were removed from the fuel injectors, and no fuel was noted in lines or injectors. Fuel injectors were removed and verified clear.
At this time an interview of the surviving pilot has not been possible. Our office investigators have been unable to reach the surviving pilot. Jrk
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2025, AT ABOUT 1131 LOCAL TIME BELLANCA 17-30A SUPER VIKING WAS PERFORMING FLIGHT TRAINING WHEN IT LOST POWER STRIKING POWERLINES AND IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR MORIARTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (0E0), MORIARTY, NEW MEXICO AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ONE OCCUPANT, A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE SECOND OCCUPANT, A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED.
THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED 1N1 AT 1059 AND PROCEEDED TO THE NORTH. ABOUT 9 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE SOUTH AND CONTINUED TO CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE OVERFLEW 0E0 AND FLEW WEST IN PREPARATIONS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 26. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO THEN CLIMBED OUT. WHILE CLIMBING OUT THE AIRCRAFT MADE A LEFT TURN, TURNING 180 DEGREES ON A RETURN PATH. A RADIO CALL TO MORIARTY STATING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS REPORTED. WHILE RETURNING AND DESCENDING THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWERLINES AND IMPACTED TERRAIN ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2025, THE FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1630. WE SECURED THE SCENE AND BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS. AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A FIELD AND THE LANDING GEAR HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF. THE ENGINE WAS SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT AND SITTING 30 FEET FROM THE FUSELAGE.
ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2025, THE FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE WITH THE NTSB AND CONTINUED INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY, AND CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED FOR ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE FUEL SYSTEM MAIN SELECTOR VALVE WAS SET TO THE RIGHT MAIN TANK, THIS WAS ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED ON 09/16/2025, AND CONTINUITY THROUGH THE MAIN FUEL SELECTOR WAS VERIFIED. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY WHILE THE LEFT MAIN TANK WAS FULL. THE LEFT-WING AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS WERE DAMAGED AND LEAKING FROM THE ACCIDENT. THE RIGHT-WING AUXILIARY TANKS WERE EXPOSED BUT NOT DAMAGED OR LEAKING.
ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2025, THE FAA AND NTSB ARRIVED ON SCENE INSPECTING THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER, ALSO THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEFUELED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEFUELED, THERE WAS 16.5 GALLONS REMOVED FROM THE RIGHT AUXILIARY TANK, AND 0 GALLONS REMOVED FROM THE RIGHT MAIN TANK. 3.5 GALLONS WAS REMOVED FROM THE LEFT MAIN TANK AND 6.75 GALLONS FROM THE LEFT AUXILIARY TANK. THE PROPELLER HAD MARKS AND BENT BLADES CONSISTENT WITH A NON-ROTATING UNIT. THE ENGINE CYLINDERS HAD COMPRESSION, THE TIMING OF THE MAGNETO’S WAS VERIFIED GOOD AND A SPARK TEST ON THE STANDARD MAGNETO WAS VERIFIED GOOD. THERE WAS OIL IN THE ENGINE. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REMOVED, AND OPERATION WAS SMOOTH. THE FUEL PUMP DRIVE COUPLING WAS INTACT AND WORKING PROPERLY. THE FUEL LINES WERE REMOVED FROM THE FUEL INJECTORS, AND NO FUEL WAS NOTED IN LINES OR INJECTORS. FUEL INJECTORS WERE REMOVED AND VERIFIED CLEAR.
AT THIS TIME AN INTERVIEW OF THE SURVIVING PILOT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE. OUR OFFICE INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REACH THE SURVIVING PILOT. JRK
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.