Saturday, October 16, 2021

Cessna 175 Skylark, N7584M: Fatal accident occurred October 15, 2021 in Reserve, Catron County. New Mexico

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. 

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Albuquerque, New Mexico 
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas


Location: Reserve, New Mexico
Accident Number: WPR22FA011
Date and Time: October 15, 2021, 09:59 Local 
Registration: N7584M
Aircraft: Cessna 175 
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On October 15, 2021, about 0959 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 175 airplane, N7584M was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Reserve, New Mexico. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Preliminary radar data showed that the airplane departed Grant County Airport (SVC), Silver City, New Mexico, on October 15, 2021, about 0908. Radar track data showed the airplane on a northerly heading for about 26 minutes. Between 0934 and 0946, the radar data was unavailable. At 0946 the data showed the airplane on a northwesterly heading at an altitude of 9,925 ft mean sea level (msl) and the ground speed of 76 knots. The last recorded altitude, at 0949, showed the airplane at 9,525 ft msl on a heading of 328° and a ground speed of 76 knots. During the next 5 min, the altitude was not recorded but the airplane continued a northwesterly heading at a ground speed of 70 (+/- 10) knots. The airplane subsequently turned to a northerly heading at a ground speed of 55 knots. The lowest ground speed of 52 knots was recorded at 0956. The last two radar points showed the airplane heading 020° and 031° respectively with ground speed of 60 and 72 knots.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane contacted treetops in mountainous terrain at the elevation of 7,521 ft mean sea level. The airplane came to rest about 100 ft upslope from the trees. All major structural components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris filed and flight control continuity was established throughout all control surfaces.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N7584M
Model/Series: 175
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: RYN 
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Serious 
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious 
Latitude, Longitude: 33.596478,108.72155 

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.

Pilot Linda Pecotte
This photo was taken at the commemoration of 9-11 at Western New Mexico University. She and Elaine Haynick presented certificates of appreciation to first responders at the ceremony. 
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A former head of the Grant County Republican Party was killed and two of her passengers were injured in a plane crash Friday morning in the Gila National Forest.

New Mexico State Police spokesman Ray Wilson said the pilot, 74-year-old Linda Pecotte of Silver City, died and the two passengers were airlifted to a hospital.

Wilson said on Saturday that the conditions of the injured passengers are unknown. He said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

“Additional details about the investigation will be provided by those agencies,” Wilson said.

He said State Police responded around 11:15 a.m. to reports of a downed airplane in the area of Sheep Basin in the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico.

Wilson said they found a small plane had crashed with three people inside.

He said Pecotte was pronounced dead at the crash site by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

A 2014 Journal article cited Pecotte as the chairwoman of the Grant County Republican Party.

The Republican Party of New Mexico on Saturday released a statement following news of her death, calling Pecotte a “strong and dynamic force” who was “deeply involved in GOP politics for years.”

“She volunteered and campaigned for many candidates statewide and was a good friend of Chairman Steve Pearce,” the statement read.

Many took to social media to mourn the loss of Pecotte.

“Just learned of a loss of a family friend (my other mother) I’m heartbroken. RIP Linda Pecotte. You will be remembered!!” one woman wrote on Facebook.

Said another, “Goodbye to my friend, pilot and realtor Linda Pecotte, who was killed in a plane crash.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, Pecotte was also a Realtor, who attended Silver High School in Silver City.


NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A local pilot is dead and two passengers are in the hospital after a small plane crash in Catron County. New Mexico State Police say the aircraft went down in Sheep Basin, south of Reserve around 11 a.m. on Friday. 

The pilot, Linda Pecotte from Silver City, was killed. The conditions of the two passengers are unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

4 comments:

  1. I bet this aircraft had no shoulder harness's when I see a pilot killed passengers survive see the aircraft wasn't equipped with a shoulder harness seatbelt. I would never get into an aircraft that didn't have a shoulder belt other then an airliner which I think they should put in shoulder belts in those too.

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    Replies
    1. That may be the case. I feel the same way about shoulder harnesses. The paperwork is nothing--they've made it very easy to upgrade an older aircraft with this essential safety equipment.

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    2. One of the surviving pax in this case had to have been in the back seat. Since both pax survived, that meant the pax in the back seat was probably cushioned by the pilot and the FS pax during the impact. Since only the pilot died, the BS seat pax was probably behind the pilot. Having a full grown adult slam into you from behind while de accelerating in a plane crash is usually unsurvivable even if the pilot was wearing a shoulder harness, especially at her age.

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  2. Stunned - just found out about this on Kathryn's Report. Linda was my copilot in one of the Air Race Classic races a few years back. A nice lady and fun flying partner. I'll miss her. This makes 13 friends that I've lost in plane crashes over the years. May the Lord bless Harry, her Husband as he grieves along with the rest of us.

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