Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Clayton Municipal Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mt. Dora, New Mexico 88415
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 15:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot with over 5,000 hours of total flight time departed his home airfield under visual-flight-rules conditions. Shortly after departure, the aircraft struck the side of a nearby mountain. There were no indications of loss of control or of any preimpact anomalies with the airframe or engine. The pilot had a long history of rheumatoid arthritis and back pain, and was on multiple medications, including two different narcotic painkillers. He had reported to the FAA a history of arthritis and the use of medication typically prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, and the FAA had not requested any further information. The pilot had experienced increased pain within a month of the accident, and post-accident toxicology testing indicated the presence of a third narcotic painkiller and a short-acting local anesthetic in his system at the time of the accident, suggesting the possibility of additional treatment for his pain within a few days of the accident. Toxicology testing was also consistent with the ingestion of at least 10 tablets of a prescription narcotic painkiller within the 2 hours prior to the accident. The circumstances of the accident, in which this experienced pilot flew directly into clearly visible elevated terrain with no discovered anomalies with the airplane, could suggest an unknown cockpit distraction, impairment, or an intentional act; however, the investigation could not conclusively determine the specific cause of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/29/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1545 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Mt. Dora |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88415 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 363237N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1032733W |
| Event Location Airport | Clayton Municipal Airpark |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CAO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1455 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 103 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CAO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4965 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | 292055Z AUTO VRB06KT 10SM CLR 24/M04 A3021 |
| 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) | 26853 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 22 2010 11:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N175JG |
| NTSB Number | CEN09FA043 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 175 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 55092 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 4 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2955 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN W HERINGA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 200 ASPEN ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | CLAYTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88415-2247 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | JOHN W HERINGA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 200 ASPEN ST |
| Operator City | CLAYTON |
| Operator State | NM |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 88415-2247 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CAO |
| Departure City | Clayton |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | CAO |
| Destination City | Clayton |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 5 2009 9:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |