Cessna 182Q accident near Carlsbad, New Mexico, November 19, 2021
On November 19, 2021 at about 6:40 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 182Q, registered N91AZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain separation from an FM tower guy wire while on an aerial survey flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2021 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q, built 1977 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N91AZ · registry record · serial 18265784
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an oil and pipeline aerial observation flight. The airplane maneuvered and skirted around a Frequency Modulation (FM) tower to the south and continued a left turn to the northwest, clearing the tower, as the pilot resumed his pipeline observation. The tower’s height, as depicted on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sectional chart, was 715 ft above the ground (agl) and was lit for nighttime operations. Shortly after, the airplane maneuvered to the southwest towards the same tower and the airplane struck a guy wire about 500 ft agl. The airplane impacted terrain and a postcrash fire ensued. A postaccident examination of the airplane wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was likely headed towards the local airport and did not see the tower guy lines.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 306 in the last 90 days; 93 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 21, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,130.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 2, 2021; 55.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 13,802 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Gulf Coast Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: KODO Odessa TX at 3:30 pm
- Destination: KGNC Seminole TX
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KCNM, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCNM 191753Z AUTO 16008KT 10SM CLR 11/M09 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP238 T01111089 10117 21011 58019 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 WPR22FA043.