# NTSB DEN00FA119: Cessna 172H, N2526L, Angel Fire, NM, June 26, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: June 25, 2000, 19:00 local (Jun 26, 2000, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Angel Fire, NM - Coordinates: 36.39043, -105.269363 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3904&lon=-105.2694&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report April 6, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 51109 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN00FA119 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51109/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN00FA119 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper inflight decision to prematurely attempt a climb towards rising terrain before sufficient altitude had been attained that would assure adequate obstacle clearance. Factors were high density altitude and trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, climb - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - climb - premature, pilot in command (cause) - altitude - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - high density altitude (contributing factor) - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) ## Analysis The airplane took off and made two complete climbing circuits of the airport before proceeding south towards rising terrain. A lineman said he 'could tell they were having trouble gaining altitude,' and watched as the airplane disappeared behind trees south of town near a golf course. A witness said the airplane came over his house at low altitude, clipped trees, spun around, hit the roadway, and caught fire. The accident site was 4.2 miles south of the airport. The difference between the accident site elevation and the airport elevation is 353 feet. Density altitude was calculated at 11,197 feet msl. The airplane weighed an estimated 1,987 pounds. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 25, 2000, approximately 1900 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N2526L, was destroyed when it collided with trees during initial climb, then impacted terrain and burned at Angel Fire, New Mexico. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The other passenger escaped with minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Angel Fire Airport approximately 1855. According to the Las Vegas, New Mexico, Municipal Airport manager, N2526L arrived there on the evening of June 24. The pilot told him they were unable to fly to Angel Fire because it was night and he was unfamiliar with the mountainous terrain. They were given permission to sleep in a U.S. Forest Service trailer parked nearby. The airport manager said he heard the airplane take off as he was coming to work the next morning approximately 0615. According to a written statement submitted by a Ross Aviation line serviceman, he arrived for work at the Angel Fire Airport approximately 0700 and found N2526L parked on the ramp. He said the airplane must have arrived early that morning "because there was no dew on it," and it had not been there the night before when he closed approximately 1800. He chocked the airplane and tied it down. Approximately 1730, "three college age adults. . .with backpacks" arrived and the pilot requested that the airplane be "topped off." The lineman suggested that he depart with a light fuel load "since temperatures were near 80 degrees F." The pilot agreed and purchased 18 gallons (9 gallons per side). The pilot and his passengers then took a shuttle to a nearby restaurant. Later, the lineman drove them back to the airport. The pilot paid his fuel bill, then telephoned the Albuquerque Flight Service Station (FSS) for a weather briefing for a proposed VFR flight from Angel Fire to Amarillo, Texas. After loading the airplane, they departed. Approximately 1850, the lineman watched as the airplane took off on runway 35 (8,900 ft. x 100 ft., asphalt, 0.64% downhill gradient), turned and headed south. "I could tell they were having trouble gaining altitude," he wrote. He tried calling the pilot on the radio but got no response. The airplane turned around over the town and came back towards the airport, "still only about 200-300 feet AGL [above ground level]." The lineman radioed the pilot again and said, "If you guys are having trouble, bring it back." The pilot replied, "I think we're okay. We're just trying to climb so we can fly south down the valley." The pilot confirmed he had leaned the mixture. The lineman watched as the airplane again turned south and disappeared behind trees south of town near the golf course. The surviving passenger, who was seated in the left rear seat, was interviewed by telephone and later submitted a written statement. She stated that only the pilot wore earphones, so the two front seat occupants conversed loudly. She recalled the pilot saying they had a "foul plug" during engine start and taxi, but he was able to clear it during the engine run-up. After the takeoff, she lay across the rear seats and tried to nap. She recalled the front seat passenger say, "We almost hit that tree." The pilot replied, "Hold on. I'm going to try to land." She looked up just as the airplane began hitting the trees. After impact with the ground, she saw the front occupants were slumped over and their seats had slid forward. She was able to exit via the left door. The airplane was then on fire. Numerous witnesses saw the low flying airplane. One witness, sitting on his deck, watched as the airplane came over his house at low altitude. He said the airplane clipped trees on his property, spun around, hit the roadway in front of his house, and immediately caught fire. While he telephoned 9-1-1, his wife, a nurse, went to the scene to render assistance. According to the Angel Fire Police Department, they were notified of the accident at 1900, the first officer reported on scene at 1905, the ambulance arrived at 1910, and the fire department arrived at 1912. The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at a location of 36 degrees, 21.604' north latitude, and 105 degrees, 18.032' west longitude, and at an elevation of 8,735 feet msl (above mean sea level). PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate, dated May 29, 1998, with an airplane single-engine land rating. He was an instrument student at Central State College in Killeen, Texas. He also held a second class airman medical certificate, dated July 30, 1999, with the limitation, "Must wear corrective lenses." The pilot's logbook was never located. According to his most recent application for medical certification, he indicated he had accumulated 135 total flight hours, of which 45 hours had been accrued in the previous six months. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION N2526L (s/n 17255726), a model 172H, was manufactured in 1966 by the Cessna Aircraft Company. It was equipped with a Continental O-300-D engine (s/n 35286-D-6-D), rated at 145 horsepower, and a McCauley 2-blade, all metal, fixed pitch climb propeller (m/n 1C172/EM 7653). It had a gross weight of 2,300 pounds, and a service ceiling of 13,100 feet. According to the maintenance records, the last annual inspection on the airframe and engine was accomplished on April 8, 2000, at a tachometer reading of 1,329.5 hours. Total time-in-service for both airframe and engine was 3,683.2 hours. At that time, the engine had accrued 948.4 hours since last major overhaul, which was done on February 27, 1994. The hours recorder on the tachometer was unreadable at the accident site due to thermal damage. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION Angel Fire Airport is not equipped with an automated weather recording system (AWOS, AMOS, METAR). Some weather instruments are located in the airport office and, according to the lineman, at 1915, the temperature was about 80 degrees F., and the barometric pressure was 30.20 inches of mercury. He did not recall the wind direction or velocity. The nearest weather reporting station was the AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) at Taos, New Mexico, Municipal Airport, located 24 miles west of Angel Fire, at an elevation of 7,091 feet msl. At 1855, it recorded the following observation: WIND 260 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 10 STATUTE MILES; SKY CONDITION CLEAR; TEMPERATURE, 29 DEGREES C. (84.2 DEGREES F.); DEW POINT, -2 DEGREES C. (28.4 DEGREES F.); ALTIMETER, 30.14 INCHES OF MERCURY. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane first struck a large pine tree, 3 feet in diameter, taking off the top about 30 to 40 feet above the ground. About 27 feet beyond was a dead tree, on the flight path centerline, with its top sheared off. At the 39-foot mark, 20 feet to the left of the flight path centerline, was another pine tree with its top missing. At the 42-foot mark, on flight path centerline, was a 7-inch diameter aspen tree with its top cut off. There were 10-inch chop marks on two fallen limbs, measuring 5 and 8 inches in diameter. At the 93-foot mark was the main body of wreckage. The swath through the trees was on a magnetic heading of 212 degrees. The airplane spun around and impacted an unimproved road embankment in a nose down, right wing 30 degrees low attitude. The fuselage rested on a magnetic heading of 328 degrees. The descent angle after tree impact was measured to be 26 degrees. The cabin area was gutted. The inboard sections of both wings, including the fuel tanks, were burned. The engine had been driven aft against the firewall, with the vacuum pump making penetration. All mounts were broken with the exception of the left forward mount. The propeller turned by hand with difficulty, and resulted in movement of the crankshaft, ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2526L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2526L-2000-11-02), registration cancelled 2000-11-02, S/N 17255726 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172H - Registry model: [Cessna 172H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172h) (registry code 2072424) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17255726 - Airframe hours: 3683 - Engines: Continental O-300-D 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Paul G. Dodson - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 8, 2000 - Departed: AXX - Destination: 1E7, AMARILLO, TX - Airport: AXX, Angel Fire, runway 35, 8,900 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 22; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 135 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000625014539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000625014539A), Jun 25, 2000: Cessna 172H, Angel Fire, NM, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) On June 25, 2000, a Cessna 172H, N2526L departed the Angel Fire Airport in Angel Fire, NM. At approx. 1900 MDT, shortly after takeoff, the a/c collided… ## Other investigations on N2526L (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 MKC67F0425](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC67F0425), Jan 25, 1967: Cessna 172H (N2526L), Wichita, KS, substantial damage 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. --- 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.