Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Santa Teresa, New Mexico 88008
Tuesady, August 6, 2013 8:56 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was conducting agricultural spray operations to a small field with obstacles, including a power line, trees, and heavy construction equipment. His pull-up from the spray pass was too late and the airplane struck a tree on the edge of the field. After the tree strike, the pilot maneuvered to a forced landing, during which the airplane cartwheeled. The pilot stated that he regretted accepting the high level of risk involved with spraying the small, tightly confined field. The pilot also stated that his sleep was interrupted many times during the night before the accident, which would have affected both the quality and amount of sleep the pilot obtained during his reported sleep opportunity. The resultant fatigue would have likely affected both the pilot’s decision-making and flying performance on the day of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tree at the completion of an agricultural spray run. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to accept a high level of risk to spray a small field bordered by multiple obstacles and his fatigue due to interrupted sleep the night before the accident.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/6/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 856 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Santa Teresa |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88008 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 315258N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1063752W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| 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 | 851 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 107 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KELP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3971 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 16000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KELP 061451Z 21011KT 10SM SCT160 BKN200 26/1 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31939 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Federal Aviation Administratio |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 15 2013 9:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | folm |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3789E |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA464 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | -- |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-36-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 36-7960078 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4400 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 7 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6675 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Roger Zeledon |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN MIGUEL |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88058-0276 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Roger Zeledon |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SAN MIGUEL |
| Operator State | NM |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 88058-0276 |
| Operator Code | V4ZG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | N/A |
| Departure City | San Miguel |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | N/A |
| Destination City | San Miguel |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 4 2013 9:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | reej |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |