Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain separation from an FM tower guy wire while on an aerial survey flight.
NTSB analysis
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.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR22FA043 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Nov 19, 2021
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Carlsbad, New Mexico
- Highest injury
- Fatal
- Fatal injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 182Q
- N-number
- N91AZ
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1977
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial observation
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.