Piper PA-28-140 accident near Truth Or Conseq, New Mexico, October 7, 2005
On October 7, 2005 at about 6:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N55910, was destroyed in an accident near Truth Or Conseq, New Mexico. 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 attempt to fly VFR into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the reported low ceiling and mountain obscuration, resulting in the pilot being unable to maintain a visual lookout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2005 · about 6:08 pm local time
- Place
- Truth Or Conseq, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N55910 · registry record · serial 28-7325528
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot obtained a weather briefing, filed a VFR flight plan, and took off at 1108. When he failed to close his flight plan, an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued. Recorded radar data captured a VFR target proceeding south from the airport until it turned to a southwest heading and initiated a climb to 7,500 feet. Radar contact was lost at 1208. The nearest weather reporting station, located 34 n.m. east-northeast of the accident site and at an elevation of 4,853 feet msl, reported a ceiling of 2,500 feet agl (above ground level), or 7,353 msl. A military helicopter crew also filed a pilot report (PIREP), reporting mountain top obscuration in the area. The wreckage was found 2 days later at an elevation of 8,100 feet msl near the point where radar contact was lost.
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
- Flight time: 165 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,207 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 5:08 pm
- Destination: E95 Benson AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from TCS, 34 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.