Cessna 175 accident near Deming, New Mexico, September 29, 2010
On September 29, 2010 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N9431B, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Deming, New Mexico (Private airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2010 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Deming, New Mexico · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N9431B · no longer on the register · serial 55231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed from a private airfield in order to ferry the airplane to an airport where maintenance facilities were located. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the pilot elected to land on the remaining runway. The airplane landed hard. A reason for the loss of engine power was not found during a postaccident examination of the airplane. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart in the Federal Aviation Administration's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed that the airplane was not operating in conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor icing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during initial climb
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 8,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 25, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA Deming NM
- Destination: NM70 Rodeo NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDMN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 10, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.