Cessna 182Q accident near Fort Sumner, New Mexico, February 20, 1982
On February 20, 1982 at about 7:04 am local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N759QR, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Sumner, 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
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
- February 20, 1982 · about 7:04 am local time
- Place
- Fort Sumner, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759QR · no longer on the register · serial 18266179
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLANE CRASHED AND BURNED ON A DARK MOONLESS NIGHT AFTER IMPACTING IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED NEAR THE HOME OF THE PILOT'S FRIEND WHERE THE PILOT HAD VISITED EARLIER IN THE EVENING. AFTER IMPACTING IN SOFT, LEVEL, SANDY SOIL, THE MAIN WRECKAGE BOUNCED AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 162 FT FROM THE IMPACT POINT. EXCEPT FOR THE ENGINE, EMPENNAGE, AND PORTIONS OF THE WINGS, THE AIRCRAFT HAD DISINTEGRATED. A TOXICALOGY CHECK OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD INDICATED A BLOOD/ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 135 MG PERCENT. ALTHOUGH THE SKY WAS CLEAR, ANOTHER PILOT REPORTED A LACK OF REFERENCES TO THE HORIZON FROM HIS POSITION ON THE FT SUMNER AIRPORT WHEN HE SAW THE PLANE DEPART.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 450 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470U (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Fort Sumner NM at 11:30 pm
- Destination: Fort Sumner NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°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.
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.