Cessna 182 accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, December 16, 1991
On December 16, 1991 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5530B, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT, PILOT'S APPREHENSION, PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, POOR INSTRUMENT LOCATION, VISUAL PERCEPTION AND INADEQUATE COCKPIT LIGHTING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 1991 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Teresa, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5530B · registry record · serial 33530
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DARK NIGHT FLIGHT THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT FROM A RUNWAY THAT PLACED THE INITIAL CLIMB AND CRUISE OVER DARK DESERT TERRAIN. A RELATIVE OF THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT LIKE NIGHT FLYING AND CONSIDERED SUCH FLYING UNSAFE IN THE SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE. SEVERAL PILOTS, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN THE AIRPLANE, REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FLY AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND THE COCKPIT LIGHTS. WITNESSES INDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED SEVERAL NIGHT TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS THE NIGHT BEFORE THIS FLIGHT; HOWEVER, THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK SHOWED .4 HOUR OF NIGHT TIME LOGGED DURING THE LAST 18 MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THIS FLIGHT. IMPACT OCCURRED INVERTED RIGHT WING TIP FIRST AND THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS 245 FEET LONG. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE DISCOVERED. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS REVEALED A 17% SATURATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE.
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: 300 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 250 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-KCL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM at 12:30 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from ELP, 35 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.
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.