- Date
- September 27, 1998, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Belen, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N29572Cessna 177A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980927026679A
- Case key
- 44049
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 inadvertently stalling the airplane.
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 had obtained a weather briefing and had received VFR flight following services from Albuquerque ARTCC. Radar services were terminated when the airplane was 22 miles south of Belen. The pilot proceeded under visual meteorological rules to Belen and made a straight-in approach to runway 03 (6,600 ft. x 60 ft., asphalt). The pilot said she noticed there was another airplane in the pattern that was turning base leg. She was unsure of the pilot's intentions because he was not using his radio. The pilot made the decision to land behind this traffic. She flared for landing and inadvertently stalled the airplane. The airplane collided with terrain short of the runway. The nose wheel landing gear was destroyed on impact. The firewall was also damaged.
Factual narrative
On September 27, 1998, approximately 1100 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 177A, N29572, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing approach at Belen, New Mexico. 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 Las Cruces, New Mexico, at 0930.
According to the pilot's accident report, she had obtained a weather briefing and had received VFR flight following services from Albuquerque ARTCC. Radar services were terminated when the airplane was 22 miles south of Belen. The pilot proceeded under visual meteorological rules to Belen and made a straight-in approach to runway 03 (6,600 ft. x 60 ft., asphalt). The pilot said she noticed there was another airplane in the pattern that was turning base leg. She was unsure of the pilot's intentions because he was not using his radio. The pilot of N29572 made the decision to land behind this traffic. She flared for landing and inadvertently stalled the airplane. The airplane collided with terrain short of the runway. The nose wheel landing gear was destroyed on impact. The firewall was also damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29572
- Reported as
- Cessna 177A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700969
- Airframe hours
- 2,200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeri Sue Heath
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 1997
- Departed
- LRU · Las Cruces, NM
- Destination
- E80 · Belen, NM
- Airport
- E80 · Belen Municipal, runway 3, 6,600 × 60 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 95 total · 37 in this make and model · 95 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N29572 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.