- Date
- December 21, 1988, 10:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Elephant Butte, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N751SPPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881221057319A
- Case key
- 17574
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
During a return flight from having maintenance performed on the acft the plt executed a low pass by his home which was located on a point of land overlooking Elephant Butte reservoir, NM. During the maneuver while in a steep turn the left wing struck the water and separated from the acft. The acft cartwheeled and sank. Wx at the time was VMC with the water surface smooth and glassy. According to witnesses this maneuver was commonly performed by the plt on returning home.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N751SP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2700
- Airframe hours
- 3,784
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Elephant Butte Resort Marina
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 26, 1988 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- 0NM · Socorro, NM
- Destination
- TCS · Truth Or Conseq, NM
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 628 total · 600 in this make and model · 588 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TCS, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.