# Accident 20020221001989A: Cessna 172A, Los Lunas, NM, February 21, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 21, 2002, 18:15 local time - Place: Los Lunas, NM - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.1004° N, 106.5191° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1004&lon=-106.5191&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6845X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6845X-2002-04-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172A (registry code 2072404, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 74 total, 74 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA084) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020221001989A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW02LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA084), Feb 22, 2002: Cessna 172A (N6845X), Albuquerque, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's delay in executing a go-around while conducting a simulated emergency landing, which resulted in an in flight collision with terrain. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.