Piper PA-28-180 accident near Silver City, New Mexico, April 12, 2021
On April 12, 2021 at about 2:40 am local time, a 1966 Piper PA-28-180, registered N222BM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Silver City, New Mexico (Grant County airport). 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 loss of situational awareness and failure to touchdown on the runway which resulted in a collision with the airport’s perimeter fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2021 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Silver City, New Mexico · Grant County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1966 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N222BM · no longer on the register · serial 28-3231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, he became disoriented during a day visual flight rules (VFR), cross-country flight. After a nearly five-hour flight in search of his destination airport, he saw an airport and landed. After a brief conversation on the ground with witnesses, he refueled the airplane and departed in search of his original destination airport. Unable to locate his desired airport and five hours later as the day had turned to night, he spotted an airport and initiated an approach to the east. During the night VFR approach, the engine lost power, but the pilot switched fuel tanks and completed an engine restart inflight. However, the airplane did not touch down on airport property. The airplane landed outside of the airport’s southern perimeter fence, near Airport Road and the southeast airport access gate. The airplane impacted the airport’s perimeter fence and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAD Safford AZ at 10:45 pm
- Destination: TYL Taylor AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08/2, 6,802 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KSVC, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSVC 120235Z AUTO 32009KT 10SM CLR 16/M11 A2986 RMK AO2 T01571115
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.