Cessna 182Q accident near El Paso, Texas, March 17, 2015
On March 17, 2015 at about 6:40 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 182Q, registered N735KF, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near El Paso, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into known instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2015 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q Q, built 1977 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N735KF · no longer on the register · serial 18265479
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules aerial observation flight and returning to his home base. Radar and weather data showed the airplane maneuvering in instrument flight rules conditions before radar contact was lost. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted rocky, mountainous terrain in a slight left-wing-low attitude at high airspeed, consistent with controlled flight into terrain. It is likely that the mountainous terrain was obscured by clouds and low ceilings at the time of the accident, which prevented the pilot from seeing the terrain. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented and damaged by fire, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Obscuration › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,274 hours in all; 4,800 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 7, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,742.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Brentco Aerial Patrols INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Hobbs NM
- Destination: El Paso TX
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from ELP, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on October 15, 2015. 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 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 35 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | radar Data | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Map of radar Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Accident Site Overview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Company Dispatcher Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Company GPS Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Aircraft Maintenance Inspection Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Photo Array | PDF, 8 pages | 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.