Cessna 170A accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, March 26, 2003
On March 26, 2003 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N1228D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico (Santa Rosa Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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 directional control while taxiing for takeoff. A contributing factor was the wind gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2003 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico · Santa Rosa Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N1228D · registry record · serial 19782
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was taxiing north on a north-south taxiway towards an east-west taxiway, where he intended to taxi east and depart on runway 26. While taxiing north, a gust of wind from the west, estimated to be between 30 and 40 knots, weathervaned the airplane to the left. Full right rudder and right brake was to no avail. The airplane departed the runway and the left main landing gear struck a taxiway sign. The pilot was in the right front seat; another private pilot was in the left front seat.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,239 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 6,615 as pilot in command; 1,548 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 27, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 128 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 128 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,405 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 2002; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q58 Santa Rosa NM
- Destination: TA50 Anthony NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 26 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from CQC, 64 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 DEN03LA057.