Cessna R-182 accident near Grants, New Mexico, October 11, 2000
On October 11, 2000 at about 1:25 am local time, a Cessna R-182, registered N182BG, was destroyed in an accident near Grants, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 continued VFR flight into IMC during cruise. Contributing factors were the dark night light conditions, and the cloudy weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2000 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Grants, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R-182 · all R-182s on the register
- Registration
- N182BG · registry record · serial R18200256
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying a night VFR non-scheduled Part 135 cargo flight. Radar data indicates that he departed and climbed to a cruise altitude of 9,500 feet msl. Approximately 24 minutes after departure, the airplane began to climb again. The last radar return was received approximately 1 minute later. The airplane impacted heavily forested mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 10,500 feet. The MEA for a nearby airway was 13,300 feet. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact anomalies. A pilot who flew by the mountain the airplane impacted approximately 1 hour before the accident, reported IMC weather conditions with numerous low intensity rain showers in the area.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,515 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,473 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 18, 2000; 152 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUP Gallup NM at 1:00 am
- Destination: ABQ Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 113°F (45°C), dew point 109°F (43°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.