Cessna A185E accident near Luna, New Mexico, October 3, 2004
On October 3, 2004 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185E, registered N5964, was destroyed in an accident near Luna, New Mexico (L. D. W. Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper use of the mixture control, his failure to maintain clearance from the trees, and his improper preflight planning resulting in his taking off into a canyon and subsequently impacting the trees and terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the trees, and the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2004 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Luna, New Mexico · L. D. W. Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N5964 · no longer on the register · serial 1153
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane came in from the west and landed on the airstrip. A witness, the owner of the airstrip, said the pilot taxied the airplane to the west end of the airstrip and then took off to the east. The witness said the pilot made a "perfect" takeoff. The witness said that after he could no longer see the airplane he heard what sounded like two shots. He said he thought that "two guys were shooting muzzle loaders" and assumed that the airplane had "scared up some elk for them to shoot at." The witness said he expected the pilot to land at the airstrip when he came back around, but he never returned. The witness said about 30 minutes later he was met by a friend who told him the airplane had gone down. The witness said his wife reported seeing the airplane begin a left banking turn, then seeing "two puffs of smoke" come from the airplane, and hearing "two bangs" before losing sight of the airplane. The airstrip owner, who knew the pilot, said that this was the first time the pilot had landed at that airstrip. He said that when the airplane took off the engine sounded normal. The airstrip owner said that he flew in and out of the airstrip in his Maule. He said that taking off to the east put him in a canyon. He said that it was better to take off to the west through the larger part of the valley. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies; however, all of the engine spark plugs were noted to be light brown in color, indicative of the engine being operated at a lean fuel-air mixture setting. According to a manufacturer's representative, with the turbocharger installed, the operator must run the engine at the rich mixture setting to get the same performance at higher elevations that the engine would get at sea level. Any leaning at all would produce backfires and loss of performance. The density altitude calculated for the area was 11,246 feet msl. Turbocharger information showed at an altitude of 13,000 feet msl and 76 percent horsepower, the airplane's climb rate was 500 feet per minute.
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: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 28,212 hours in all; 4,047 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 15, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,119.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 2003; 119.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Luna NM at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Springerville AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 060, 2,100 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SJN, 38 miles away
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.