- Date
- September 15, 1991, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tererro, NM
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4868FCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910915042049A
- Case key
- 18036
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A failure of the pilot to maintain adequate obstacle clearance in mountainous terrain. Factors were: lack of familiarity with the aircraft, and insufficient standards by the operator.
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.
Analysis
The newly certificated private pilot was scheduled for an extended cross-country flight to gain experience. A newly certificated private pilot friend accompanied him. They were scheduled in a type aircraft they had not previously flown, except for a local check out. The flight was planned and approved into an area of mountainous terrain and neither pilot had mountain training or experience. While maneuvering at an altitude 700 feet below the service ceiling of the aircraft, the airplane struck a tree and then impacted into terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4868F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273093
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pegasus Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Pegasus Flight Center
- Departed
- N93 · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- FTW · Ft. Worth, TX
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 3 in this make and model · 77 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.