Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB WPR22FA043
CESSNA 182Q — Carlsbad, NM
| Date | November 19, 2021 |
| Location | Carlsbad, NM |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 182Q |
| Purpose of flight | Aerial Observation |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Low altitude operation/event |
| Pilot age | 27 |
| Pilot total time | 1,300 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 950 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tower/antenna (incl guy wires)-Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
What happened
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.