- Date
- October 2, 1999, 07:50 local (13:50 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2493MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991002038259A
- Case key
- 47514
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent ground loop/swerve during landing. A factor was his attention being diverted by a malfunctioning throttle control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that while on final approach to runway 26, engine power remained too high even though the throttle had been completely retarded. On the second approach, engine power was still too high even with the throttle closed. He initiated a second go around and when the airplane was 50 feet above the ground, the mixture control was slowly moved towards idle cutoff 'to decrease power.' The airplane touched down at high speed. Directional control was lost when the pilot became distracted, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The left wing buckled when it struck the runway, and the side loads tore off the left main landing gear and damaged the right main landing gear. It was later discovered that the clamp securing the throttle sleeve to the throttle housing had come loose, allowing the sleeve (not the cable) to move when the throttle control was operated.
Factual narrative
On October 2, 1999, approximately 0750 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-12, N2493M, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it veered off the side of the runway while landing at Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The private pilot and his private pilot certificated passenger were not injured. 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 El Paso, Texas, approximately 0730.
The pilot said that while on final approach to runway 26, he noticed that engine power remained too high even though the throttle had been retarded completely. He made a go around. On the second approach to the same runway, he noticed engine power was still too high with the throttle closed. He initiated a second go around and when the airplane was 50 feet above the ground, he slowly moved the mixture control towards idle cutoff "to decrease power." The airplane touched down at high speed and, according to the pilot, directional control was lost when he became distracted, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The left wing buckled when it struck the runway, and the side loads tore off the left main landing gear and damaged the right main landing gear.
The pilot later reported the clamp that secures the throttle sleeve to the throttle housing had come loose, allowing the sleeve (not the cable) to move when the throttle control was operated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2493M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1561
- Airframe hours
- 1,596
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robt D Bradford/Tommy G Gruver
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1999 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- ELP · El Paso, TX
- Destination
- LRU
- Airport
- LRU · Las Cruces International, runway 26, 6,073 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 348 total · 348 in this make and model · 348 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP, 48 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.