Cessna 195A accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, October 4, 1984
On October 4, 1984 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 195A, registered N3086B, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- October 4, 1984 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195A · all 195As on the register
- Registration
- N3086B · no longer on the register · serial 7971
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE, THE TRANSPONDER WAS INOP & THE PLT LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH ARTCC 2 TIMES. AS HE APCHD THE DESTN (SANTA FE), INSTRUCTIONS WERE RELAYED VIA ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN ASKED WHAT TYPE APCH HE WANTED, THE PLT RESPONDED, 'WELL IF THEY CAN GET ME LOWER, BELOW IT, I'LL CANCEL.' A MESSAGE WAS THEN RELAYED THAT ARTCC COULD NOT CLEAR HIM BELOW HIS ALT OF 13,000'. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PLT RADIOED HE HAD CROSSED OVER THE VOR & WAS DSCNDG TO 8000'. THE CONTROLLER TRIED 2 TIMES TO CONTACT HIM DIRECTLY, THEN RELAYED A MESSAGE TO SQUAWK 1200 (VFR CODE), THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED & TO CALLSANTE FE TOWER. THE PLT DID NOT CONTACT THE TOWER NOR LAND AT THE ARPT. ON 10/10/84, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED & THE ACFT WAS FOUND WERE IT HAD CRASHED NEAR THOMPSON PEAK AT APRX THE 9400' LEVEL. THIS LOCATION WAS APRX 15 MI ENE OF THE ARPT &THE VOR. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE DSCNT WAS STARTED APRX 12 MI EAST OF THE VOR, THEN THE ACFT TURNED NORTH TWD THE CRASH SITE. THE ACFT HAD PREV 'RADIO PROBLEMS.' NO LOGBOOK ENTRY FND FOR VOR CHK. PLT LAST LOGGED INTRUMENT TIME ON 4/17/82.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,522 hours in all; 256 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1,480 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,335 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1983; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755-9 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Liberal KS at 8:19 pm
- Destination: Sante Fe NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from SAF, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.