Aviat Pitts S2B accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, October 11, 2003
On October 11, 2003 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Aviat Pitts S2B, registered N331DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico (Dona Ana County At Santa Teres airport). It was an instructional 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 instructor's improper in-flight planning/decision making and fuel mismanagement which resulted in fuel starvation/exhaustion, the loss of engine power and the subsequent forced landing. Contributing factors include the instructor's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2003 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Teresa, New Mexico · Dona Ana County At Santa Teres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Pitts S2B
- Registration
- N331DM · registry record · serial 5305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the instructor, he was giving instruction to the private pilot who had recently purchased the airplane. They departed with approximately 15 gallons of fuel. After completing four touch-and-go landings, they departed the pattern to do some air work, which included steep turns and a stall. At 3,500 feet agl, approximately 3 to 4 miles north of the airport, the engine lost all power. The instructor stated that he was unable to reach the airport using "best glide." The instructor made a forced landing in a field approximately 1/2 mile east-northeast of the approach end of runway 28. When the airplane impacted the ground, both the left and right main landing gear assemblies collapsed, the upper wing assembly was displaced aft, and the lower left wing, left horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were buckled. An examination of the airplane revealed 4 inches of fuel in the airplane's main fuel tank and no fuel in the wing tank. No other anomalies were found.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 28,500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 24,900 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 8, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 582.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2003; 38.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM at 2:08 pm
- Destination: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 120 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from KELP, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N331DM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.