Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 accident near Deming, New Mexico, June 14, 1991
On June 14, 1991 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, registered N44970, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deming, New Mexico (Deming Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. FACTORS WERE: A CROSSWIND CONDITION AND A SOFT SHOULDER ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1991 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Deming, New Mexico · Deming Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 · all N3N-3s on the register
- Registration
- N44970 · registry record · serial 1956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND HIS BROTHER WERE FERRYING THE NEWLY RESTORED AIRPLANE FROM CALIFORNIA TO GEORGIA. THEY DEPARTED TUCSON, AZ, AND WERE LANDING AT DEMING, NM, FOR FUEL. THE TETRAHEDRON WAS POINTING TO THE NORTH AND THE PILOT OBSERVED TRAFFIC LANDING ON RUNWAY 4. THE PILOT SAID AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE AIRPLANE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND THE TAIL STARTED TO COME UP 'AS IF A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND HAD PICKED IT UP AND PUSHED IT IN THAT DIRECTION.' THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH OPPOSITE RUDDER BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO SOFT DIRT AND OVERTURNED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,696 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 2,631 as pilot in command; 143 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,740 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,657 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N44970 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN91LA086.