Remos Acft GMBH Flugzeugbau REMOS GX accident near Española, New Mexico, March 11, 2016
On March 11, 2016 at about 11:27 pm local time, a 2009 Remos Acft GMBH Flugzeugbau REMOS GX, registered N28GX, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) near Española, New Mexico (Ohkay Owingeh Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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 adequate airspeed while operating in the airport traffic pattern, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2016 · about 11:27 pm local time
- Place
- Española, New Mexico · Ohkay Owingeh Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Remos Acft GMBH Flugzeugbau REMOS GX, built 2009 · all REMOS GXs on the register
- Registration
- N28GX · no longer on the register · serial 356
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the airport traffic pattern. A witness reported seeing the single-engine airplane enter left traffic for runway 16 and land. The airplane then made a second takeoff and continued to make left turns. The witness reported that, while airplane was turning from the crosswind leg to the downwind leg, he heard a reduction in engine power and saw the airplane descend toward the ground. Another witness reported that he heard the airplane takeoff from the airport and then saw the airplane make a left turn. He stated that, while the airplane was in the left turn, it pitched nose-down and descended toward the ground. The witness also noted that the airplane's engine sounded normal during the flight. A postaccident examination established that the airplane had impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude and was destroyed by impact and postimpact fire damage. The examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane during the flight. Based on the witness descriptions and the impact geometry, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed during the left turn, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
- Explosion (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 132.8 hours in all; 127 in this make and model; 36.7 in the last 90 days; 12.5 in the last 30 days; 41.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 2, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,916.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2016; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 917 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: New Mexico Sport Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: E14 Española NM at 11:20 pm
- Destination: SAF Santa Fe NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,007 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from LAM, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 CEN16FA122.