20020221001989A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172A · Los Lunas, NM · February 21, 2002

Date
February 21, 2002 · 18:15 local
Place
Los Lunas, NM
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6845X
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA084
Reported as
Cessna 172A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
74 total74 in this make and model14 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.

(.19) On February 21, 2002, approximately 1815 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172A, single-engine airplane, N6854X, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control during the takeoff roll from a road near albuquerque, new Mexico. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The private pilot received minor injuries and his passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and a flight pan was not filed. The personal flight departed albuquerque, new Mexico, approximately 1745. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site, found the airplane resting upside down in an open field. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wings were damaged. The pilot stated that he had performed a practice emergency landing to the road. During the takeoff roll from the road, the left wheel exited the road and struck a berm. Subsequently, the airplane flipped to the inverted position. (-23) Mr. Kristopher john ecker departed abq for a pleasure flight with one passenger at 1730 local on 02/21/2002. At approximately 1815 local he elected to practice and emergency procedure to a dirt road. He stated that he inadvertently allowed the aircraft to touchdown on the road. He attempted to go around with the flaps in the full down position. He did not adequately compensate for the engine torque that was a result of the application of power. The aircraft departed the road to the left and he retracted the flaps to the 10 degree position. The aircraft was unable to sustain flight and came to rest in an inverted position. (.4) on February 21, 2002, approximately 1815 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172A, single-engine airplane, N6854X, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain during the go-around from a simulated emergency landing near albuquerque, new Mexico. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The private pilot and his passenger did not receive injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight departed albuquerque at 1730. On the pilot/operator aircraft accident report (NTSB form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported that the airplane was over flat terrain with sparse scrub brush vegetation and several dirt roa ds. During the performance of a full flap (40 degrees) practice emergency landing, the pilot allowed the airplane to get "too low" before initiating a go-around, and the main landing gear touched down on a dirt road. The pilot applied full power; however, the airplane veered to the left, and the left main landing gear struck a berm on the side of the road. The pilot selected partial flaps and continued to execute the go-around. The airplane bounced several times, stalled, and struck the ground. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site, found the airplane resting upside down in an open field. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wings were damaged.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 21, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1815 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172A, SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N6854X, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM A ROAD NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND HIS PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, APPROXIMATELY 1745. THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE SITE, FOUND THE AIRPLANE RESTING UPSIDE DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER, AND WINGS WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PERFORMED A PRACTICE EMERGENCY LANDING TO THE ROAD. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM THE ROAD, THE LEFT WHEEL EXITED THE ROAD AND STRUCK A BERM. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED TO THE INVERTED POSITION. (-23) MR. KRISTOPHER JOHN ECKER DEPARTED ABQ FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER AT 1730 LOCAL ON 02/21/2002. AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 LOCAL HE ELECTED TO PRACTICE AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TO A DIRT ROAD. HE STATED THAT HE INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO TOUCHDOWN ON THE ROAD. HE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND WITH THE FLAPS IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION. HE DID NOT ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE ENGINE TORQUE THAT WAS A RESULT OF THE APPLICATION OF POWER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE ROAD TO THE LEFT AND HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO THE 10 DEGREE POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT AND CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION. (.4) ON FEBRUARY 21, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1815 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172A, SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N6854X, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING THE GO-AROUND FROM A SIMULATED EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER DID NOT RECEIVE INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE AT 1730. ON THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2), THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER FLAT TERRAIN WITH SPARSE SCRUB BRUSH VEGETATION AND SEVERAL DIRT ROA DS. DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FULL FLAP (40 DEGREES) PRACTICE EMERGENCY LANDING, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO GET "TOO LOW" BEFORE INITIATING A GO-AROUND, AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON A DIRT ROAD. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A BERM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PILOT SELECTED PARTIAL FLAPS AND CONTINUED TO EXECUTE THE GO-AROUND. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED SEVERAL TIMES, STALLED, AND STRUCK THE GROUND. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE SITE, FOUND THE AIRPLANE RESTING UPSIDE DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER, AND WINGS WERE DAMAGED.

NTSB investigation

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