Piper PA-28-235 accident near Torreon, New Mexico, February 20, 2006
On February 20, 2006 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N9149W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Torreon, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 jammed magneto drive gear and the fractured camshaft gear, which resulted in the total engine failure. A factor contributing to the accident was the unsuitable dirt road on which the pilot had to force land the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 2006 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Torreon, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9149W · registry record · serial 28-10775
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that "approximately 25 minutes into the flight, the engine quit - 2,350 rpm to zero rpm reading." The pilot attempted to restart the engine but the engine would not start. The pilot then executed a forced landing to a dirt road. The pilot said, "We touched down with the road veering slightly to the right and bounced once becoming airborne again. The plane yawed to the right and when I straightened the aircraft we touched down a second time left of center on the dirt road and shoulder. The bar ditch had been graded so as to drain into the field adjacent to the road. When we struck the perpendicular ditch, the nose gear gave way forcing us to a stop." An on-scene examination of the airplane showed the nose wheel broken aft, the lower cowling crushed upward, the engine and engine mounts bent upward, and the lower firewall bent upward and aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the airplane's engine showed the left magneto impulse coupling broken and the magneto drive gear jammed. The adjacent camshaft gear showed 4 broken teeth. Milled metal was found around the drive coupling and camshaft gear. 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 643 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 561 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,214 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM at 1:50 pm
- Destination: 0E8 Crownpoint NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from SAF, 56 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 DEN06LA040.