Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Roswell Industrial Air Center Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Roswell, New Mexico 88202
Monday, December 27, 2004 18:21 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane took off on a local IFR flight plan so the pilot could do instrument approaches in preparation for his commercial pilot flight check. The pilot was given radar vectors and accomplished two ILS approaches to the southwest runway. On climb out, the pilot was cleared direct to the CHISUM VOR, and was cleared to fly the procedure turn for the VOR BRAVO approach. While on the procedure turn and on a northerly heading, the airplane disappeared from radar. The local controller attempted to re-establish radio communications with the airplane, but was unable. Several witnesses in vehicles driving westbound on a highway stated they saw the airplane in the air traveling northwest at approximately 2,500 feet above the ground. One witness stated the airplane "suddenly started downward at a steep angle and crashed." Another witness said it took only a few seconds from the time the airplane started downward until it impacted on the highway. A third witness said he saw "a green and red light coming down at a high angle and very fast," and he "heard [a] loud noise, not [an] explosion." The witness said he then went through the debris across the highway and smelled fuel. The weather conditions at the airport, 281 degrees at 12.6 nautical miles from the accident site were clear skies, calm winds, 10 miles visibility, temperature 39 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 31 degrees F, and altimeter 30.19 inches. At the time of the accident it was night. The light conditions were dark. The airplane was destroyed on impact. An examination of the airplane showed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot not maintaining control of the aircraft resulting in an uncontrolled descent and collision on a highway. Factors contributing to the accident were the dark night and the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/27/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1821 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Roswell |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88202 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332247N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1044528W |
| Event Location Airport | Roswell Industrial Air Center |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ROW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 12 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3671 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 281 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3671 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.19 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18231 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 27 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1940 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 13 2005 12:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Albuquerque, NM FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N849SP |
| NTSB Number | DEN05FA044 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172S-8757 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2457 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1350.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Great Southwest Aviation, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. Box 5700 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Roswell |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88202 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ROW |
| Departure City | Roswell |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1736 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 21 2005 11:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |