Cessna 172N accident near Tererro, New Mexico, September 15, 1991
On September 15, 1991 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4868F, was destroyed in an accident near Tererro, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE OBSTACLE CLEARANCE IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS WERE: LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRCRAFT, AND INSUFFICIENT STANDARDS BY THE OPERATOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 1991 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tererro, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4868F · no longer on the register · serial 17273093
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN EXTENDED CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO GAIN EXPERIENCE. A NEWLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT FRIEND ACCOMPANIED HIM. THEY WERE SCHEDULED IN A TYPE AIRCRAFT THEY HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY FLOWN, EXCEPT FOR A LOCAL CHECK OUT. THE FLIGHT WAS PLANNED AND APPROVED INTO AN AREA OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND NEITHER PILOT HAD MOUNTAIN TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE. WHILE MANEUVERING AT AN ALTITUDE 700 FEET BELOW THE SERVICE CEILING OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND THEN IMPACTED INTO TERRAIN.
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: 152 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 77 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,307 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N93 Albuquerque NM at 3:00 pm
- Destination: FTW Ft. Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.