Cessna 172M N64263

Summary

On 6 August 1989 at about 16:56 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N64263 was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 1989 at 16:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.0601, -106.6206

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N64263

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89FA184

1 person died.

THE PILOT DELIBERATELY FLEW HIS AIRCRAFT INTO THE FACE OF A MOUNTAIN. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE PILOT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG THE FLT, THE ACFT FLEW INTO THE WEST FACE OF THE SANDIA MOUNTAINS AT ABOUT THE 9000 FT LEVEL. BEFORE THE COLLISION, THE STUDENT PILOT CONTACTED ALBUQUERQUE APCH CONTROL & STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING EASTBOUND OVER THE RIO GRANDE RIVER & WAS GOING INTO THE WEST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS. HE REQUESTED THAT HIS FRIEND IN MISSOURI BE CALLED & PROVIDED THE PHONE NUMBER AS WELL AS SPELLING THE NAMES OF HIS FRIEND & HIMSELF. WHEN THE CONTROLLER INQUIRED ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, THE PLT DID NOT SPECIFY. LATER, A SUICIDE NOTE WAS FOUND AT THE PLT'S HOME & FRIENDS REPORTED HE HAD BEEN VERY DESPONDENT SINCE SEPARATION FROM HIS WIFE IN MARCH 1989.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.