Aero Commander 100-180 accident near El Paso, Texas, December 12, 1993
On December 12, 1993 at about 4:24 pm local time, a Aero Commander 100-180, registered N3718X, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas. It was a ferry 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 INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1993 · about 4:24 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 100-180 · all 100-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3718X · registry record · serial 5022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING AN ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURBULENCE AFTER CROSSING A RIDGELINE PERPENDICULAR TO HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 6500 FEET WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE TURBULENCE IN CLEAR AIR. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, BUT THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,044 hours in all; 726 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,044 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,763 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1993; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360A2F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DMN Deming NM at 3:45 pm
- Destination: TDW Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from ELP, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N3718X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.