Cessna 182K accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 20, 1984
On June 20, 1984 at about 5:02 pm local time, a Cessna 182K, registered N3039Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Las Cruces-Crawford airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1984 · about 5:02 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Las Cruces-Crawford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182K · all 182Ks on the register
- Registration
- N3039Q · no longer on the register · serial 18258039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING THE ACFT BALLOONED, STALLED AND CONTACTED THE RWY HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK OFF THE NOSE GEAR. THE PLT ADDED PWR AND ABORTED THE LANDING. ACFT WAS THEN LANDED IN A SANDY AREA ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY WHERE IT NOSED OVER.
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: 118 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNM Carlsbad NM at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 8, 6,071 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.