Piper PA-36-300 accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, August 6, 2013
On August 6, 2013 at about 2:56 pm local time, a Piper PA-36-300, registered N3789E, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree at the completion of an agricultural spray run. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to accept a high level of risk to spray a small field bordered by multiple obstacles and his fatigue due to interrupted sleep the night before the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2013 · about 2:56 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Teresa, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-300 · all PA-36-300s on the register
- Registration
- N3789E · no longer on the register · serial 36-7960078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an agricultural spray operation to a small field with obstacles, including a power line, trees, and heavy construction equipment. His pull-up from the spray pass was too late and the airplane struck a tree on the edge of the field. Due to the tree strike, the pilot lost roll control and maneuvered to a forced landing, during which the airplane cartwheeled. The pilot stated that he accepted a high level of risk to spray the small, tightly confined field, which he regretted. Factoring in his decision were multiple requests to spray the field by a persistent farm owner. Multiple sleep interruptions occurred on the night prior to the accident, which would have affected both the quality and amount of sleep the pilot obtained during his reported sleep opportunity. The resultant fatigue would have likely affected both the pilot’s decision making and flying performance on the day of the accident.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Response/compensation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,986 hours in all; 1,478 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 96 in the last 30 days; 4,877 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,675 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-720 AIB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N/A San Miguel NM at 2:30 pm
- Destination: N/A San Miguel NM
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from KELP, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13LA464.