- Date
- August 28, 1993, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N65655Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930828035059A
- Case key
- 11104
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
Improper planning and decision making by the pilot in command in descending into a valley at an altitude providing no escape route in mountainous terrain.
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
While maneuvering at 11,500 feet MSL in mountainous terrain, the pilot descended below the ridge line into a valley. When he realized there was no escape route, he intentionally stalled the aircraft into trees.
Factual narrative
On August 28, 1993, at approximately 1100 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N65655, collided with trees while maneuvering in mountainous terrain near Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is approximately seven miles northeast of the unincorporated town of Torrero, New Mexico, in the Pecos Wilderness Area, Santa Fe Postal District. The private pilot received minor injuries, his passenger received serious injuries, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area personal flight and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, he descended below the ridge line into a valley at 11,500 feet above mean sea level while maneuvering and "realized that a crash could not be avoided." He stated that he intentionally stalled the aircraft just prior to impact with trees. He said, that when the aircraft came to rest, he and his passenger exited through their respective doors unaided. He further stated that the aircraft was functioning in a normal fashion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65655
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275801
- Airframe hours
- 5,970
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D25, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leroy C. Reynolds
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1993 · 36 hours before
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 37 in this make and model · 155 as pilot in command · 71 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.