Smith LONG-EZ N86PD

Summary

On 12 June 1995 at about 17:16 local time, a Smith LONG-EZ registered N86PD was involved in an accident near Cloudcroft, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 June 1995 at 17:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Cloudcroft, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

32.9501, -105.7309

Aircraft

Smith LONG-EZ

Registration

N86PD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alamogordo → Roswell

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95FA238

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM TREES. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE, THE RISING TERRAIN, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE LINEMAN AT ALAMOGORDO AIRPORT REPORTED ADDING 28 GALLONS OF 100LL AVGAS TO THE FUEL TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF WITH TWO MEN (APPROXIMATELY 195 POUNDS EACH PLUS PERSONAL ITEMS). THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW OVER HIGH ROLLS, NEW MEXICO AND EAST TOWARDS PINEY WOODS, NEW MEXICO. WITNESSES IN PINEY WOODS REPORTED TO THE STATE POLICE THAT 'THE AIRCRAFT WAS CIRCLING SO LOW THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO LAND.' THE AIRPLANE WAS NEXT OBSERVED AT THE TOP OF THE VALLEY IN THE MOUNTAIN PASS VILLAGE OF CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO, WHERE A WITNESS REPORTED THAT IT OVERFLEW THE VILLAGE 'AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE AND MISSED THE TOP OF MY BUILDING BY 30 FEET.' THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED SEVERAL TIMES MAKING ABRUPT STEEP BANK HEADING CHANGES. ONE WITNESS REPORTED THAT 'THE PLANE WAS ON ITS SIDE AND THE WINGS WERE PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND.' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TALL PINE TREE AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE ELEVATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 8,665 FEET AND THE CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 11,900 FEET.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.