20231127021579A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Las Cruces, NM · November 27, 2023

Date: November 27, 2023 · 10:20 local
Place: Las Cruces, NM
Airport: Las Cruces International
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5495K
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR24LA058
Reported as: Cessna 172P
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N5495KRegistered now · Cessna 172PS/N 17274160 · Built 1980 Airframe modelCessna 172P Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

On November 27, 2023, at 1020 MST, a Cessna 172, flown by a fixed-wing student pilot (who also holds a commercial pilot certificate-rotorcraft) experienced an extremely hard landing at the Las Cruces International Airport, klru, while on a solo cross country flight. No FAA flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained

Substantial damage to both sides of the firewall, buckling in the engine cowling sheet metal, and sheet metal damage to the lower skin of the fuselage. The investigation revealed that there were no mechanical defects with the aircraft. The pilot reported that he encountered an extremely severe sudden downcraft and hit the ground at a high-rate of descent due to this downdraft. The iic coordinated with the NTSB who concurred with categorizing this as an accident. The root cause for this incident was weather-related, and the NTSB concurred with this assessment.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 27, 2023, AT 1020 MST, A CESSNA 172, FLOWN BY A FIXED-WING STUDENT PILOT (WHO ALSO HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE-ROTORCRAFT) EXPERIENCED AN EXTREMELY HARD LANDING AT THE LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KLRU, WHILE ON A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. NO FAA FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED

SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH SIDES OF THE FIREWALL, BUCKLING IN THE ENGINE COWLING SHEET METAL, AND SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER SKIN OF THE FUSELAGE. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED AN EXTREMELY SEVERE SUDDEN DOWNCRAFT AND HIT THE GROUND AT A HIGH-RATE OF DESCENT DUE TO THIS DOWNDRAFT. THE IIC COORDINATED WITH THE NTSB WHO CONCURRED WITH CATEGORIZING THIS AS AN ACCIDENT. THE ROOT CAUSE FOR THIS INCIDENT WAS WEATHER-RELATED, AND THE NTSB CONCURRED WITH THIS ASSESSMENT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB WPR24LA058Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportLas Cruces, NMAn encounter with a downdraft during an approach to land, which resulted in a hard landing.Nov 27, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5495K · 2

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

Accident 20140530007589ALanding: Touchdown · Bluffton, OHOn final approach to runway 5, at approximately 60 knots, a "slight" gust of wind lifted the right wing causing the aircraft to drift to the left. The aircraft came down hard on the nose wheel and the prop struck the ground resulting in major structural…May 30, 2014 · Substantial damage Accident 19880507013049ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Bowling Green, OHPorpoised on landing collapsing the nose gear.May 7, 1988 · Substantial damage