History of the Flight
On October 12, 2017, at approximately 2015 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182H airplane (registration N8338S) sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The flight instructor and a student pilot were fatally injured. The aircraft was operated by Aero Newton Inc. under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The departure time from Las Cruces International Airport (LRU) was not recorded.
Radar data showed the airplane flew from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, south along Interstate 25 toward Las Cruces. Approaching the airport, it maneuvered north of LRU, descended to about 200 ft above ground level (agl), turned left toward the airport, climbed to about 500 ft agl, overflew the field, then turned north. Shortly afterward, it entered a descending right turn over unpopulated terrain, and radar contact was lost. First responders located the wreckage on a small mesa after receiving reports of a fire.
Personnel Information
The personal logbooks for both pilots were not located, and their recent flight experience could not be determined from available records.
Aircraft Information
The airplane's maintenance logbook recorded a 100-hour inspection completed on August 8, 2017, at a total airframe time of 2,507.15 hours and 886.91 hours since engine overhaul.
Meteorological Information
Lunar data indicated that the moon did not rise until after midnight on the night of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck unpopulated desert terrain approximately 3 miles from the airport at an elevation of about 4,425 ft mean sea level (msl). The wreckage path was about 275 ft long, oriented on a 215° magnetic heading. Fragments from the left wingtip and damaged brush were found leading to the initial impact point, where a shallow divot indicated the airplane skidded several feet. The main wreckage, consisting of the fuselage, wings, and empennage, came to rest about 225 ft from the initial impact. A post-impact fire consumed most of the fuselage and the inboard sections of the wings.
Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the elevator, elevator trim, and rudder. The left aileron drive cable was continuous to the left aileron, and the carry-through cable was continuous between the ailerons. The right aileron drive cable was broken near the right forward door post, with features consistent with overload separation. Most of the fuel system was consumed by the fire; the fuel strainer screen was intact and showed no contamination. The cockpit instruments were largely damaged by impact and fire. The airspeed indicator showed 180 mph (158 knots), the tachometer showed about 2,300 rpm, and the altimeter read 8,075 ft with 30.07 inches in the Kollsman window. Functional testing of the altimeter was not possible due to damage.
The engine remained partially attached to the fuselage via control cables. The top spark plugs were removed and appeared worn out-normal. The valve covers were removed, revealing no damage to valve springs or rocker arms. Impact damage to the lower forward crankcase prevented manual rotation of the engine crankshaft to verify continuity and compression. The three-bladed Hartzell propeller separated from the engine; the crushed spinner was removed. Blade A was bent aft near the hub with leading edge damage and diagonal chordwise scoring on the cambered side. Blade B was twisted with S-bending, leading edge gouges, and chordwise scratches. Blade C was also twisted with S-bending and chordwise scratches.
The vacuum pump and attitude indicator were examined. The dry vane carbon components showed impact damage and rotational scoring around their circumference and the pump case. The attitude indicator's gyro was examined; the case had crushed into the gyro and was removed, revealing rotational scoring on the interior of the gyro casing.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico, performed autopsies on both pilots, determining the cause of death for each as blunt force trauma. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory conducted toxicology tests on specimens from both pilots, with negative results for all tested substances.