# Accident 20020424007039A: Cessna 172RG, Alamogordo, NM, April 24, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 24, 2002, 10:06 local time - Place: Alamogordo, NM - Airport: Holloman Afb - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: QHMS - Location: 32.8401° N, 106.0800° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8401&lon=-106.0800&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6288R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6288R-2017-10-06) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172RG (registry code 2072438, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172rg) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172RG - Reported engine: LYC O360E1A6 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 4,875 total, 450 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA128) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020424007039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON APRIL 24, 2002, AT 1007 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172RG AIRPLANE, N6288R, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB FROM HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE AERO CLUB, OF ALAMOGORDO. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN AS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO PERSONNEL FROM THE AERO CLUB, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 07 AND DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED BRUSH COVERED GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT. PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THE NTSB REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ELEVATOR WAS DAMAGED, AND THE EMPENNAGE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. (-23) HISTORY OF FLIGHT. ON APRIL 24, 2002 AT APPROX. 10:06 MST, A CESSNA 172RG, N6288R, OWNED BY HOLLOMAN AFB AERO CLUB AT HOLLOMAN AFB, NM APPEARED TO HAVE LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE ON TAKE OFF CLIMB. THE PILOT TRIED TO BANK TO THE RUNWAY BUT LANDED IN A FIELD OF BRUSH. THE FLIGHT WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER VMC. IT APPEARS NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NO SERIOUS INJURIES WERE RECORDED. THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT HOLLOMAN AFB, NM. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE CFI AND THE PRIVATE PILOT NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED DURING THE PRE-TAKEOFF ENGINE RUN-UP. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 07, AT THE RUNWAY 16 INTERSECTION. THE PRIVATE PILOT INITIATED THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED AND FULL FUEL. ACCORDING TO A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY AT THE AIR BASE, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND WAS FROM 340 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE, RPM, AND ENGINE GAUGES WERE ALL WITHIN THE SET LIMITS DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AND THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE. HOWEVER, ONCE AIRBORNE THE AIRPLANE DID NOT GAIN AIRSPEED. THE PILOTS MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE W IND AND ELECTED NOT TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. THE CFI STATED THAT HE "SENSED A LACK OF ADEQUATE POWER DEVELOPMENT." THE PRIVATE PILOT ENSURED THAT THE THROTTLE WAS FULL FORWARD, REDUCED THE AIRPLANE'S PITCH ATTITUDE, AND THE "AIRSPEED CAME BACK WEAKLY;" HOWEVER, WHEN HE INCREASED THE PITCH ATTITUDE, THE AIRSPEED "IMMEDIATELY STARTED FALLING AWAY." THE CFI TRIED A FEW DIFFERENT MIXTURE SETTINGS; HOWEVER, NONE INCREASED THE POWER OUTPUT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING WHEN THE PRIVATE PILOT RELINQUISHED CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE TO THE CFI. DURING THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING, THE CFI MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE AROUND A CONCRETE BLOCK AND LANDED IT IN A ROUGH FIELD. THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED A FENCE DURING THE ROLL-OUT AND CAME TO A STOP UP-RIGHT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION AND TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. ## 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 FTW02LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA128), Apr 24, 2002: Cessna 172RG (N6288R), Alamogordo, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a forced landing after takeoff. 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.