Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, December 3, 1994
On December 3, 1994 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P, registered N88WT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Las Cruces Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE BY UNKNOWN MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. A FACTOR WAS THE COLLAPSED LANDING GEAR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 1994 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Las Cruces Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P
- Registration
- N88WT · registry record · serial 782
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING THE FOURTH TOUCH AND GO LANDING, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT, WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILED. FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF THE LANDING GEAR THE AIRCRAFT VEERED RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND GROUND LOOPED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED A PRE-EXISTING CRACK IN A WELD AREA. THE PILOT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1994; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R985-AN12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 7,494 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ELP, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 FTW95LA060.