N6899C – Piper PA28R – 2018-10-28 NTSB Accident Report

On October 28, 2018, a Piper PA28R (N6899C) was involved in an incident near Hobbs, NM. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's incorrect altimeter setting during the night visual approach, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain.

The pilot reported he entered a left traffic pattern for runway 30 during night visual meteorological conditions. Shortly after turning final approach, the airplane impacted the terrain. The pilot thought he had sufficient altitude during the initial phase of the final approach based on his altimeter indication. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage, and the three occupants were not injured. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the pilot had an improper altimeter setting that resulted in the altimeter indication error of +800 ft mean sea level, and the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN19CA017. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6899C.