Piper PA-46-500TP accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 13, 2003
On June 13, 2003 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, registered N211EZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadvertent encounter with turbulence associated with thunderstorms. A contributing factor was the icing conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2003 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-500TP · all PA-46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N211EZ · no longer on the register · serial 4697117
- 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 at FL290 and was circumnavigating isolated thunderstorms. Flight Watch informed him of a SIGMET for thunderstorms forming between Colorado and New Mexico. At the suggestion of Flight Watch, the pilot turned toward an alternate airport, but he had to continually change heading due to rapidly developing cells. He did not have enough fuel to fly to this alternate, so he elected to divert to another alternate airport. All anti-ice equipment was turned on. During the descent through the clouds, mixed icing started to rapidly accumulate on the aircraft. As the pilot initiated a 180-degree turn to leave the icing conditions, the plane encountered severe downdrafts. The pilot declared an emergency and landed at his alternate airport in visual meteorological conditions without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed the inboard panels of both bonded wings were wrinkled, necessitating the replacement of the entire wing assembly.
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: 756 hours in all; 269 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 722 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 289 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 2003; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,892 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVO Novato CA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: GUC Gunnison CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 020, 8,342 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SAF
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.
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.