Cessna 182R accident near Farmington, New Mexico, December 14, 1999
On December 14, 1999 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N9616H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his improper inflight decision to not land and refuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 1999 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9616H · no longer on the register · serial 1826793
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On a cross-country flight that was on a route the pilot flew often as a non-stop trip, the airplane encountered constant head winds that reduced ground speed to about 90 knots. After 6 hours and 50 minutes of flight, the pilot made the decision to land at an airport short of his destination for fuel. According to the pilot, when the airplane was about 35 miles short of the intended fuel stop, the engine lost all power due to fuel exhaustion and he conducted a forced landing to rough uneven terrain. During landing roll, the aircraft nosed over.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,549 hours in all; 1,426 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,447 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,481 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HYI San Marcos TX at 4:30 pm
- Destination: DRO Durango CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from FMN, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.