Martin VARIEZE accident near Artesia, New Mexico, January 19, 1998
On January 19, 1998 at about 11:32 pm local time, a Martin VARIEZE, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N27CP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Artesia, New Mexico (Artesia Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind. Factors were the prevailing crosswind and the pilot's lack of total experience in type of aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1998 · about 11:32 pm local time
- Place
- Artesia, New Mexico · Artesia Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Martin VARIEZE, amateur-built
- Registration
- N27CP · no longer on the register · serial 1195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight instructor was to conduct airplane checkouts for the new owner and other club members that traveled from Spain. After some dual instruction, the pilot was endorsed by the flight instructor to solo the airplane. Witnesses at the airport observed the airplane executing 4 or 5 approaches to attempt to land on runway 12. On the fifth attempt to land, the airplane touched down hard and bounced back up in the air. The nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot added full power and the airplane slid for 1,125 feet down the active runway with the brakes locked. The airplane came to a stop after impacting a taxiway marker head-on. The pilot stated that either the wind was stronger than reported or the crosswind was closer to a 90-degree crosswind. The reported winds for the landings on runway 12 at the time of the accident were reported from 160 degrees at 14 knots. The 200-hour pilot had never flown a similar type of homebuilt airplane.
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: 200 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ATS at 11:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,399 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:33 pm from ATS, 1 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.