Piper PA-22-160 accident near Nageezi, New Mexico, May 30, 2002
On May 30, 2002 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-160, registered N9051D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nageezi, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to select a suitable landing site, which resulted in a collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2002 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Nageezi, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N9051D · registry record · serial 22-6191
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The cross-country flight departed, made one fuel stop, and was en route to its second fuel stop when the pilot deviated from the planned route due to mountainous terrain. The planned route followed an interstate highway. The pilot thought he had rejoined his planned route of flight; however, he began following the wrong interstate highway. The flight traveled 70 miles, and when the pilot did not arrive at his next planned fuel stop, he decided to execute a precautionary landing to a dirt strip due to low fuel. The airplane landed, and the right wing contacted a barbed wire fence 3/4 of the way down the airstrip. The pilot added that when he identified the fence it was too late to execute a go-around, and the dirt was too loose to stop prior to the fence.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,082 hours in all; 9 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,061.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2002; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUY Guymon OK
- Destination: GUP Gallup NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FMN, 38 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.
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 FTW02LA166.