Mooney M20F accident near Deming, New Mexico, March 15, 1985
On March 15, 1985 at about 7:46 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N7414V, was destroyed in an accident near Deming, New Mexico (Deming airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- March 15, 1985 · about 7:46 pm local time
- Place
- Deming, New Mexico · Deming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7414V · no longer on the register · serial 22-1207
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING PREFLT & INFLT WX BRIEFINGS, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT MOUNTAINS ALONG HIS ROUTE WERE OBSCURED BY CLOUDS & PRECIP.ALSO, HE WAS CAUTIONED ABOUT MODERATE ICING IN CLOUDS & PRECIP AT OR ABOVE THE FREEZING LVL. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT OBTAINED CLEARANCE TO DETOUR AROUND CLOUDS. HE THEN REQUESTED A DESCENT TO GET OUT OF CLOUDS BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS PICKING UP RAIN & LIGHT ICE. HE WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO THE MIN EN ROUTE ALT (MEA) OF 9000 FT. A SHORT TIME LATER, RADAR & RADIO CONTACT WERE LOST. LATER, THE ACFT WAS FND WHERE IT IMPACTED THE SLOPE OF A HILL ON OPEN DESERT TERRAIN WHILE IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW, ATTITUDE. IMPACT OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEED ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THE LAST PITOT-STATIC SYS, SENSITIVE ALTIMETER & TRANSPONDER CHECKS WERE PERFORMED ON 6/3/83, & THE LAST VOR CHECK WAS ON 1/6/78.
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,441 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 3,277 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 17, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 3:55 pm
- Destination: ELP El Paso TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:57 pm from DMN, 18 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.