Cessna 182G accident near Elida, New Mexico, September 16, 1991
On September 16, 1991 at about 2:12 pm local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N3223S, was destroyed in an accident near Elida, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION FOR THE FLIGHT AND HIS SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. A FACTOR WAS: HEAVY FOG AND LOW CEILING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1991 · about 2:12 pm local time
- Place
- Elida, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3223S · no longer on the register · serial 18255723
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITHOUT A WEATHER BRIEFING OR FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. AFTER TAKEOFF, AND WITHIN SEVERAL MILES OF THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WITNESSES COULD HEAR THE AIRCRAFT FLYING OVERHEAD, BUT BECAUSE OF LOW CEILINGS AND HEAVY FOG THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRCRAAFT. THEY SAID THAT THE ENGINE SOUND SUDDENLY STOPPED AND LATER, WHEN THE FOG LIFTED, THEY SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE GROUND IN A NEARBY PASTURE WHERE THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND BURNING.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Q34 Portales NM at 3:00 pm
- Destination: ATS Artesia NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.