Carlsbad - Oklahoma City

On May 12, 1982 at 09:30 PM, Carlsbad - Oklahoma City experienced a crash involving Rockwell Gulfstream 695 Jetprop 980, operated by Sweetwater Drilling Company, with the event recorded near Carlsbad New Mexico.

The flight was categorized as ferry and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The aircraft crashed about half a mile southwest of the departure end of runway 32L. The runway had been illuminated at the time of takeoff with the aircraft making a left turn into an area that was not illuminated toward the mountains. It was a very dark night with an indistiguishable horizon southwestward toward the higher mountains. There were two brightly lit softball complexes located to the north toward the city. A weather study indicated probable moderate to severe turbulence and up and down drafts below 7,000 feet msl, and light to moderate wind shear from the surface up to 300 feet agl. A witness who saw the fireball stated she had lost control of her car because a gust of wind pushed her car into the other lane of traffic. Both occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N9789S, MSN 695-95037, year of manufacture 1980.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 32.4257°, -104.2376°.