20001231033519A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 177 · Las Cruces, NM · December 31, 2000

Date
December 31, 2000 · 10:45 local
Place
Las Cruces, NM
Airport
Las Cruces International Airport
Phase of flight
Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N29572
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN01LA037
Reported as
Cessna 177
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A3A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
103 total8 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23)On December 31, 2000, approx. 1101 MST, a Cessna 177 cardinal (N29572) registered to and operated by aviation enterprises, inc., 505 fairacres, NM 88044, sustained substantial damage during an attempted go-around following a hard landing at the Las Cruces airport (lru), Las Cruces, NM. The private pilot, privacy data omitted was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the pleasure flight under 14 CFR part 91 that originated at lru at 1049 MST. During an interview, privacy data omittedstated he was practicing touch & go(s) with full flaps, when the a/c landed hard and bounced. He immediately applied full power and, as the a/c became airborne, began to retract the flaps. The a/c began slowly turning toward the left side of the runway and touched down as the flaps retracted. The a/c continued off the runway and was damaged by the terrain. (.4)on December 31, 2000, approximately 1045 mountain standard time, a Cessna 177, N29572, owned by aviation enterprises, inc., and operated by mesilla valley aviation, both of Las Cruces, new Mexico, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain while landing at Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, new Mexico. The private pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from Las Cruces at 1035. According to the pilot's accident report, he took off and stayed in the traffic pattern with the intention of making a touch and go landing. "My approach was routine and I started my flare 4 to 5 feet above the runway with full flaps", the pilot wrote. "I made a smooth touchdown; however, the airspeed was above stall speed after touchdown. I continued back pressure on the yoke to keep the nose wheel off the ground. The plane became airborne, stalled, came down nose low and bounced. When this happened again, I applied full power and retracted the flaps to abort the landing. The plane ground looped to the left off the runway into sand and brush." The left landing gear collapsed, and the leading edge of the left wing and horizontal stabilator were damaged. The pilot noted that his only previous experience in the Cessna 177 was with an instructor in February 2000. At that time, he logged 7.8 hours. Commenting how the accident could have been avoided, the pilot wrote: "better piloting. (1) by holding the plane off the runway until it starts to stall. (2) after touchdown, adjust back pressure on yoke more precisely to control rollout."

As the FAA filed it

(-23)ON DECEMBER 31, 2000, APPROX. 1101 MST, A CESSNA 177 CARDINAL (N29572) REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AVIATION ENTERPRISES, INC., 505 FAIRACRES, NM 88044, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND FOLLOWING A HARD LANDING AT THE LAS CRUCES AIRPORT (LRU), LAS CRUCES, NM. THE PRIVATE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS UNINJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PLEASURE FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 THAT ORIGINATED AT LRU AT 1049 MST. DURING AN INTERVIEW, ^PRIVACY DA^STATED HE WAS PRACTICING TOUCH & GO(S) WITH FULL FLAPS, WHEN THE A/C LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL POWER AND, AS THE A/C BECAME AIRBORNE, BEGAN TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. THE A/C BEGAN SLOWLY TURNING TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND TOUCHED DOWN AS THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE A/C CONTINUED OFF THE RUNWAY AND WAS DAMAGED BY THE TERRAIN. (.4)ON DECEMBER 31, 2000, APPROXIMATELY 1045 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 177, N29572, OWNED BY AVIATION ENTERPRISES, INC., AND OPERATED BY MESILLA VALLEY AVIATION, BOTH OF LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE LANDING AT LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAS CRUCES AT 1035. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S ACCIDENT REPORT, HE TOOK OFF AND STAYED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING. "MY APPROACH WAS ROUTINE AND I STARTED MY FLARE 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY WITH FULL FLAPS", THE PILOT WROTE. "I MADE A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN; HOWEVER, THE AIRSPEED WAS ABOVE STALL SPEED AFTER TOUCHDOWN. I CONTINUED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO KEEP THE NOSE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND. THE PLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, STALLED, CAME DOWN NOSE LOW AND BOUNCED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED AGAIN, I APPLIED FULL POWER AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO ABORT THE LANDING. THE PLANE GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY INTO SAND AND BRUSH." THE LEFT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING AND HORIZONTAL STABILATOR WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HIS ONLY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE CESSNA 177 WAS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR IN FEBRUARY 2000. AT THAT TIME, HE LOGGED 7.8 HOURS. COMMENTING HOW THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, THE PILOT WROTE: "BETTER PILOTING. (1) BY HOLDING THE PLANE OFF THE RUNWAY UNTIL IT STARTS TO STALL. (2) AFTER TOUCHDOWN, ADJUST BACK PRESSURE ON YOKE MORE PRECISELY TO CONTROL ROLLOUT."

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N29572 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.