Amateur-built WHITE LIGHTNING accident near Las Vegas, New Mexico, August 6, 2023
On August 6, 2023 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1992 amateur-built WHITE LIGHTNING, registered N25WL, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Las Vegas, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A reported partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2023 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WHITE LIGHTNING, built 1992
- Registration
- N25WL · registry record · serial 25
- 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 during cruise flight, the engine’s power decreased to a point where the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing at an airport that he had just overflown. However, after making the 180° turn, the airplane could not maintain airspeed or altitude, and the pilot chose to land on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing separated after impacting a fence. The wreckage was subsequently disposed of by the pilot (who owned the airplane), which precluded postaccident examination of the airframe. A repair facility purchased the engine and repeated attempts to gather additional information from the facility were unsuccessful. According to the pilot, the repair facility inspected the engine and found no mechanical anomalies. Based on this information, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 416.2 hours in all; 32.1 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 30, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 135 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 4, 2023; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-360-GR (piston); 1,358 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDU Boulder CO at 4:35 pm
- Destination: E14 Espanola NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KSAF, 37 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSAF 061853Z 24007G32KT 220V280 10SM CLR 32/M02 A3028 RMK AO2 PK WND 26032/1845 SLP130 T03171017
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.
Other NTSB records under N25WL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 WPR23LA304.