Cessna 182E accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, April 8, 1998
On April 8, 1998 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182E, registered N3086Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper use of (or failure to use) carburetor heat, which resulted in carburetor ice, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Related factors were: the carburetor icing (weather) conditions, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1998 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E · all 182Es on the register
- Registration
- N3086Y · no longer on the register · serial 18254086
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he made several turns in preparation to returning to the airport to perform some touch-and-go landings. At 6,500 feet msl, the engine lost power, and efforts to restore power were unsuccessful. The pilot attempted to land on a road, but the airplane struck a mesquite bush and nosed over. Later, the engine was functionally tested, and it operated normally. The pilot surmised that the engine had lost power due to carburetor ice. Thirty-four minutes before the accident, the temperature and dew point at El Paso International Airport (elevation 3,956 feet), located approximately 30 miles southeast, was 9 degrees and -3 degrees C. (48.2 and 26.6 degrees F.), respectively. According to the carburetor icing probability charts, these conditions were conducive to serious icing at glide power, and approached a moderate icing realm at cruise power.
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 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LRU Las Cruces NM at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from LRU
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.