# NTSB WPR25LA274: Piper PA-23-160, N4085P, Santa Teresa, NM, September 7, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: September 6, 2025, 19:25 local (Sep 7, 2025, 01:25 UTC)
- Place: Santa Teresa, NM
- Coordinates: 31.880444, -106.70325
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8804&lon=-106.7032&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200957
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25LA274
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200957/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA274

## Preliminary report

On September 6, 2025, about 1925 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-23-160, N4085P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that while the twin-engine airplane was being refueled, he completed his performance planning. Subsequently he entered the airplane, started both engines, taxied to the runup area and performed engine runup and magneto drop checks, with no abnormalities noted. After transmitting his intentions over the common traffic advisory frequency, he taxied onto runway 10 from taxiway A4, aligned the airplane on the runway centerline and applied full throttle on both engines. During the takeoff roll, he began to rotate about 87 knots and 1,600 ft into the takeoff roll. However, when the airplane lifted off of the runway, the airplane yawed to the left and was not climbing. He reported that he retracted the landing gear to reduce drag, lowered the nose to increase airspeed, and applied right rudder. He stated that he heard a decreasing engine noise, and assumed it was the left engine due to the left yaw and side slip, while he applied right rudder. While trying to keep the nose aligned with the runway centerline at an indicated airspeed between 90 knots to 100 knots, and less than 50 ft above ground level, the airplane had drifted left over the runway safety area and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-160, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=7102304), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4085P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4085P), registered now, S/N 23-1563, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23-160
- Registry model: [Piper PA-23-160](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-160) (registry code 7102304) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 23-1563
- Year built: 1959
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, June 5, 2025
- Departed: DNA, Santa Teresa, NM
- Destination: TUS, Tucson, AZ
- Airport: DNA, Dona Ana County Intl Jetport, runway 10/28, 9,550 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observed at: KDNA
- METAR: METAR KDNA 061135Z AUTO 22004KT 10SM FEW037 FEW060 20/17 A3013 RMK AO2=

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250907017089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250907017089A), Sep 7, 2025: Piper PA-23-160, Santa Teresa, NM, Destroyed. On September 7, 2025, at approximately 17:25 mountain time, Piper PA-23-160 was involved in an accident while taking off from kdna on runway 10 right. The…

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.

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