Cessna 172RG accident near Las Vegas, New Mexico, December 28, 1985
On December 28, 1985 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N4849V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Vegas, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- December 28, 1985 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N4849V · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO DEPART FROM A PVT GRASS STRIP, WHICH IS LOCATED ON A PLATEAU AT AN ELEV OF APRX 6,400 MSL. THE GRASS STRIP, WHICH IS APRX 3,000 FT IN LENGTH, HAS AN UPSLOPE OF ABOUT 10% FOR THE FIRST HALF AND A DOWNSLOPE AT ABOUT 10% ON THE SECOND HALF. THE PLT STATED HE WAS NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE FLT DUE TO THE ELEV AND ROUGHNESSOF THE GRASS STRIP. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS FLT WAS NOT GOING TO BE ACHIEVED, HE ABORTED, BUT TOO LATE. THE ACFT CONTACTED A FENCE AND ROUGH TERRAIN DURING THE ABORTED TAKEOFF.
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: 161 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 122 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,660 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 14, 1985; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: F54 Arlington TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 239° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from LVS, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.