What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 02, 2022, about 1715 MST, a Liberty XL2, N552XL, privacy data omittedwas substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Las Cruces, new Mexico international airport, klru. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Las Cruces international airport, klru. VFR conditions prevailed at the time. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. N552XL was destroyed as result of the accident.
The pilot reported that the takeoff weight of the aircraft was computed to be 1634LBS within the allowable CG range (allowable gross weight for the aircraft was 1653LBS) on the day of the flight. The pilot checked and determined that the density altitude just prior to the flight was 6750FT, and there was sufficient runway for the takeoff on RWY04, and overall sufficient performance to depart klru.
The pilot departed RWY04 at klru, noted that aircraft appeared to be a bit sluggish on the takeoff roll compared to an earlier takeoff at a lower elevation airport in Texas earlier in the day. The pilot lifted ok off in ground effect, but the climb out was sluggish. As the aircraft cleared the airport perimeter fence, the pilot felt the aircraft enter the 'backside of the power curve', and the aircraft began to settle back towards the ground. The pilot maintained control of the aircraft by flying straight ahead and leveling the wings at best glide airspeed. The aircraft touched down in the dessert outside the airport perimeter fence on the main wheels in soft sand. As the mains dug into the sand, the nose wheel was forced down onto the dessert floor. As the nosewheel dug into the soft sand, the aircraft flipped about its lateral axis, ending up inverted. The pilot walked away from the aircraft uninjured.
The pilot claims to have initially leaned the fuel mixture to account for the density altitude as he always does during his regular flights from high density altitude airports. He has substantial previous experience in flying in high-density-altitude environments throughout the sw united states and is based in a mountainous area of California.
He believes the cause of this accident is a combination of high density altitude and aircraft weight close to the maximum allowable gross weight (close to the edge of the permance envelope).
Additionally he stated that his A&P (the pilot himself is also an A&P) installed a new "eclectro air dual electronic ignition system" on 22 February 2022 (documented with submitted aircraft records), and the performance characteristics of this system may be different especially when leaning for density altitude compared to the old system removed at the same time from his aircraft in February. He suggested that maybe he didn't "lean the mixture aggressively enough" compared to the old system. Airworthiness inspectors at the FAA FSDO elected to not tear down the engine of the aircraft, and the aircraft was written off by the insurance company and is not available for post-accident inspection by airworthiness inspectors of the abq FSDO. The NTSB has also declined to tear down the engine of the aircraft.
Based on the limited data available and statements made by the pilot to both the NTSB and abq FSDO, it appears plausible that there was an unknown technical issue with the aircraft ignition system that ultimately resulted in the accident.
The airman had flown this same route previously in nearly identical conditions with no performance issues whatsoever previously in this aircraft. The airman is both an experienced commercial pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI). His explanation appears to be plausible. He has been both extremely cooperative and forthwright during this accident investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 02, 2022, ABOUT 1715 MST, A LIBERTY XL2, N552XL, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT THE LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KLRU. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KLRU. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS NOT INJURED. N552XL WAS DESTROYED AS RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE TAKEOFF WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPUTED TO BE 1634LBS WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE CG RANGE (ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT FOR THE AIRCRAFT WAS 1653LBS) ON THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT CHECKED AND DETERMINED THAT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE JUST PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT WAS 6750FT, AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT RUNWAY FOR THE TAKEOFF ON RWY04, AND OVERALL SUFFICIENT PERFORMANCE TO DEPART KLRU.
THE PILOT DEPARTED RWY04 AT KLRU, NOTED THAT AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE A BIT SLUGGISH ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL COMPARED TO AN EARLIER TAKEOFF AT A LOWER ELEVATION AIRPORT IN TEXAS EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE PILOT LIFTED OK OFF IN GROUND EFFECT, BUT THE CLIMB OUT WAS SLUGGISH. AS THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, THE PILOT FELT THE AIRCRAFT ENTER THE 'BACKSIDE OF THE POWER CURVE', AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE BACK TOWARDS THE GROUND. THE PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BY FLYING STRAIGHT AHEAD AND LEVELING THE WINGS AT BEST GLIDE AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE DESSERT OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE ON THE MAIN WHEELS IN SOFT SAND. AS THE MAINS DUG INTO THE SAND, THE NOSE WHEEL WAS FORCED DOWN ONTO THE DESSERT FLOOR. AS THE NOSEWHEEL DUG INTO THE SOFT SAND, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ABOUT ITS LATERAL AXIS, ENDING UP INVERTED. THE PILOT WALKED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.
THE PILOT CLAIMS TO HAVE INITIALLY LEANED THE FUEL MIXTURE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AS HE ALWAYS DOES DURING HIS REGULAR FLIGHTS FROM HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AIRPORTS. HE HAS SUBSTANTIAL PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN FLYING IN HIGH-DENSITY-ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SW UNITED STATES AND IS BASED IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA OF CALIFORNIA.
HE BELIEVES THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT IS A COMBINATION OF HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND AIRCRAFT WEIGHT CLOSE TO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT (CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE PERMANCE ENVELOPE).
ADDITIONALLY HE STATED THAT HIS A&P (THE PILOT HIMSELF IS ALSO AN A&P) INSTALLED A NEW "ECLECTRO AIR DUAL ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM" ON 22 FEBRUARY 2022 (DOCUMENTED WITH SUBMITTED AIRCRAFT RECORDS), AND THE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS SYSTEM MAY BE DIFFERENT ESPECIALLY WHEN LEANING FOR DENSITY ALTITUDE COMPARED TO THE OLD SYSTEM REMOVED AT THE SAME TIME FROM HIS AIRCRAFT IN FEBRUARY. HE SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE HE DIDN'T "LEAN THE MIXTURE AGGRESSIVELY ENOUGH" COMPARED TO THE OLD SYSTEM. AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS AT THE FAA FSDO ELECTED TO NOT TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS WRITTEN OFF BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION BY AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS OF THE ABQ FSDO. THE NTSB HAS ALSO DECLINED TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
BASED ON THE LIMITED DATA AVAILABLE AND STATEMENTS MADE BY THE PILOT TO BOTH THE NTSB AND ABQ FSDO, IT APPEARS PLAUSIBLE THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN TECHNICAL ISSUE WITH THE AIRCRAFT IGNITION SYSTEM THAT ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT.
THE AIRMAN HAD FLOWN THIS SAME ROUTE PREVIOUSLY IN NEARLY IDENTICAL CONDITIONS WITH NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES WHATSOEVER PREVIOUSLY IN THIS AIRCRAFT. THE AIRMAN IS BOTH AN EXPERIENCED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). HIS EXPLANATION APPEARS TO BE PLAUSIBLE. HE HAS BEEN BOTH EXTREMELY COOPERATIVE AND FORTHWRIGHT DURING THIS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.