Maule MXT-7-180A accident near Santa Teresa, NM
On October 11, 2008, a Maule MXT-7-180A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Teresa, NM. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 11, 2008
- Place
- Santa Teresa, NM
- Aircraft
- Maule MXT-7-180A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 31.892°N, 106.724°W
- NTSB ID
- 20081011X32410
Official records · CEN09FA010
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 11, 2008, at 1702 mountain daylight time, a Maule MXT-7-180A airplane, N4257C, entered a thunderstorm and impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Dona Ana County Airport (5T6), Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The private pilot and private pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with Springerville Municipal Airport (D68), Springerville, Arizona, as the intended destination. The two pilots departed Glendale Municipal Airport (GEU), Glendale, Arizona, and arrived at 5T6 the day of the accident to visit the "Land of Enchantment RV Fly-in" being held there. Witnesses saw the airplane taxi and perform an intersection takeoff on Runway 28 directly towards an isolated thunderstorm immediately off the departure end of the runway. The airplane appeared to climb to 150 to 200 feet above the ground before disappearing from view in the storm. One witness stated the airplane wings were rocking back and forth and the pilot appeared to be having difficulty controlling the airplane just before it went out of view. Five to ten minutes later, after the storm moved past, smoke was seen rising approximately one mile west of the airport. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 46, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane multiengine
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to takeoff and fly into a thunderstorm.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · Maule aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
