Monday the 5th of January, 2026

NTSB Prelim: American Aviation AA-1A

Pilot Had Recently Purchased The Airplane And Received His Private Pilot Certificate About One Month Prior

Location: High Rolls, NM Accident Number: WPR26FA051
Date & Time: November 26, 2025, 11:45 Local Registration: N9439L
Aircraft: American Aviation AA-1A Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On November 26, 2025, about 1145 mountain standard time, an American Aviation AA-1A airplane, N9439L was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and received his private pilot certificate about one month prior to the accident. On Nov 24, 2025, he began a long cross-country flight that departed Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA), Palm Springs, Florida, about 1310. He flew to several destinations and landed at DeFuniak Springs Airport (54J), DeFuniak Springs, Florida, about 1843. On Nov 25, he departed 54J about 0921 and flew to several destinations and then landed at Cavern City Air Terminal (CNM), Carlsbad, New Mexico, about 2238.

The morning of November 26, 2025, the airplane departed CNM about 0702 and landed at Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport (ALM), Alamogordo, New Mexico, about 0803. About 1132, the airplane departed ALM and when the airplane did not return a concerned family member alerted authorities. The FAA then issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane. Subsequently, the airplane wreckage was located the next morning by the New Mexico State police about 7 miles east of ALM.

Preliminary flight track data was not available for the accident flight. The airplane came to rest on an ascending mountainous slope, at an elevation of about 6,300 ft mean sea level, on a heading of 150° magnetic. The rocky terrain was composed of downed trees, tree limbs, and loosely spaced pine trees that were about 75 ft in height. The first identified point of impact was the top of a tree, with several other severed tree branches. All major components of the airplane were contained within the accident site. Most of the airplane’s wreckage was consumed by a post impact fire.

The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for future examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

 

 

NTSB Prelim: Beech B100

Cameras Captured Two Frames Of The Airplane Coming Into View In The Top Left, In A Steep Nose-Down Attitude

Location: Coral Springs, FL Accident Number: WPR26FA040
Date & Time: November 10, 2025, 10:19 Local Registration: N30HG
Aircraft: Beech B100 Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On November 10, 2025, about 1019 eastern standard time, a Beech King Air B100, N30HG, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Coral Springs, Florida. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The flight was intended to transport relief supplies to Jamaica following a hurricane that occurred there in late October. It was to be a round-trip flight, departing from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and returning the same day.

At 0913, a local church group arrived at the airplane on the ramp at FXE with the supplies, which included a generator and multiple boxes of tarpaulins, electric tools, screws, and flashlights. They had been told in advance by the pilot that he could take about 1,000 lbs of cargo; however, upon arrival they noticed that he had already loaded about 200 lbs of equipment into the airplane behind the pilot’s seat. The group began to pass the cargo in through the rear door, while the pilot arranged it within the cabin.

The generator (which did not contain fuel) was loaded in the aft baggage compartment and secured to the airframe with webbing. The remaining cargo was placed by the pilot on the cabin seats and their footwells. The cargo was not weighed; however, the pilot checked the weight documented on each box as the airplane was loaded, and he finished the loading process once he determined that capacity had been reached. There was cargo left over, and it was decided that this could be taken on another flight.

Review of a photo taken after completion showed that the center aisle of the cabin was clear and that the cargo was loaded unsecured throughout the cabin on passenger seats. The airplane was then filled to capacity with the addition of 282 gallons of Jet-A fuel.

Preliminary ADS-B data indicated that after taxi, the airplane departed from Runway 27 at 1014:26. Over the 3 ½-minute takeoff and climb, the airplane initiated a climbing right turn to the northwest at an average climb rate of about 1,000 fpm, with vertical speed variations between 0 and 2,800 fpm, until the airplane leveled off at 4,000 ft msl.

The pilot was then instructed by air traffic control to initiate a right turn to a heading of 120°, and the pilot acknowledged. The airplane began a turn to the right at an airspeed of about 150 kts, and about 25 seconds later the heading was amended to 090°, which the pilot again acknowledged. By the time the airplane reached the 090° heading, it had accelerated to 200 kts and was starting to descend. A few seconds later, the controller instructed the pilot to continue the turn to a 120° heading, but by this time the airplane had already descended to about 3,100 ft. With no response from the pilot, the controller transmitted, “November zero hotel golf, climbing?” Heavy breathing and “grunting” sounds could then be heard, and by that time the airplane had descended to about 1,500 ft and reached an airspeed of about 270 kts. The last ADS-B target was recorded a few seconds later, about 200 ft west and 350 ft above the impact location.

A series of security cameras captured the final seconds of the flight. Two cameras were facing north toward a small pond surrounded by houses in a residential neighborhood 7 miles north-northwest of FXE. Both cameras were about 250 ft south of the accident site and facing north. The cameras captured two frames of the airplane coming into view in the top left, in a steep nose-down attitude, before striking the water. Another set of cameras, located about 400 ft east of the accident site and facing northwest, did not capture the impact but captured the airplane as it approached from the west. Both showed the airplane emerging from clouds and passing right to left in a nose-down attitude before striking the pond about 3 seconds later. The airplane was not trailing smoke or vapors in any of the recordings, all of which captured the sound of engines operating.

Preliminary review of GOES-19 satellite imagery depicted a band of cumulus clouds associated with a cold front, moving southeastward and extending over the accident area at the time of the accident. ADS-B data indicated that the airplane entered that band of clouds after takeoff and remained within the clouds during the turn to the east until it began to descend.

The airplane struck the western shore of the pond in a right-wing-low, 45-degree nose-down attitude. The airplane was heavily fragmented on impact, with the largest recovered component being the empennage which included the vertical stabilizer/rudder assembly along with fragments of the horizontal stabilizer. The remaining recovered components were comprised of fragmented wing and fuselage segments and sections of both engines and propeller assemblies, all of which were retained for further examination.

The pilot purchased the airplane in February 2024, and in June of that year it underwent a complete interior furnishings and avionics suite upgrade. Avionics systems installed included a Garmin G600 TXi touchscreen display, GTN 750 Xi GPS/NAV/COMM/Multifunction Device, GI 275 standby attitude indicator, GTX 345 transponder, and an S-TEC 3100 Digital Flight Control System with new roll, pitch, and yaw servos.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

 

 

NTSB Prelim: Cessna 172M

The Airplane Came To Rest At An Altitude Of About 7,000 Ft Msl On A Shale-Covered Slope On The North Face Of The Canyon

Location: Poleta, CA Accident Number: WPR26FA043
Date & Time: November 10, 2025, 15:15 Local Registration: N13221
Aircraft: Cessna 172M Injuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On November 10, 2025, at about 1515 Pacific standard time, Cessna 172M, N13221, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Poleta, California. A pilot-rated passenger and a passenger were fatally injured, and the pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. On the day of the accident, the pilot rented the airplane from a flight school at North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), Las Vegas, Nevada. According to the flight school, the airplane was fueled to capacity. ADS-B data indicated the airplane subsequently departed for a flight to Bishop Airport (BIH), Bishop, California, at 1159.

At 1416, the airplane arrived at BIH. The pilot purchased about 10 gallons of fuel from the selfserve fuel pump. The airplane subsequently departed from runway 17 at 1505. The airplane began a climbing left turn to the southeast and approached a mountain range with terrain elevations that reached up to about 9,000 ft msl. The last ADS-B return was recorded at 1514 and captured the airplane at 6,850 ft msl.

When the airplane failed to return to VGT, the flight school contacted local law enforcement, who subsequently contacted the FAA. The FAA then issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT). The airplane was located the day after the accident at about 0600.

The accident site was located in the east end of a canyon about 9.6 miles southeast of BIH, and about 1.3 miles northeast of the last ADS-B return. The terrain elevation at the bottom of the canyon rose from 4,400 ft msl near the opening (which faced west) and reached about 7,600 ft msl near the east end of the canyon.

The airplane came to rest at an altitude of about 7,000 ft msl on a shale-covered slope on the north face of the canyon. The wreckage lay on a heading of about 077° magnetic. The airplane was surrounded by fragments of interior plastics and the windows. The main cabin doors had separated and came to rest downslope of the main wreckage.

The wings, empennage, and engine remained attached to the fuselage. Several gallons of fuel were present in each fuel tank. Upon visual examination, the engine exhibited no indications of internal catastrophic engine failure. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange.

One propeller blade had separated and was found imbedded in the soil near the main wreckage. Visual examination of the propeller blades revealed leading edge chipping, Sbending, and chordwise striations.

The aircraft was retained for further examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov