# NTSB LAX02LA153: Cessna 172M, N754LT, Green Valley, AZ, May 8, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 8, 2002, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Green Valley, AZ - Coordinates: 31.84361, -110.976669 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8436&lon=-110.9767&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54657 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX02LA153 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54657/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54657 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA153 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to identify the wind direction, which led to an attempted downwind landing approach that resulted in a hard landing and severe bounce. Also causal was the pilot's failure to promptly retract the flaps during the rejected landing after touchdown, which led to a stall/mush condition during the takeoff initial climb and a resultant collision with terrain. Factors in the accident were the high density altitude and the prevailing tailwind condition. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - aborted - weather condition - tailwind (contributing factor) - wind information - not obtained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - high density altitude (contributing factor) - wrong runway - selected, pilot in command (cause) - proper descent rate - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - aborted landing - attempted, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - aborted - raising of flaps - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - rising - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command ## Analysis The airplane impacted terrain next to the runway during an aborted landing. The pilot reported that the airplane lost altitude as the result of a down draft while executing a full stop landing on runway 01. The airplane touched down hard and bounced several times. An aborted landing was attempted, but the pilot did not retract the flaps. The airplane continued flying towards the right side of the runway, and was unable to climb over or turn away from the rising terrain into which it ultimately impacted. Both pilots indicated that prior to impact, the engine sounds were normal. Control continuity was established and no mechanical anomalies were found. The density altitude was 5,500 feet msl. Responding officers from the Tucson Airport Police Department reported that the winds were out of the south at 10 miles per hour, with occasional variations in direction from west through east. ## Factual narrative On May 8, 2002, at 1030 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N754LT, collided with terrain during an aborted landing from the Continental airstrip (private), Green Valley, Arizona. The airplane was owned and operated by Wright Flight, Inc., of Tucson, Arizona, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot was not injured and the airline transport pilot licensed safety pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local area personal proficiency flight that departed from the Tucson International Airport (TUS), Tucson, about 0900. Officers from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the Tucson Airport Authority Police Department responded to the accident site. They stated that the airplane was resting on a hillside just to the east of the Continental airstrip's north-south asphalt runway. The propeller was extensively bent and curled. The landing gear was torn off the fuselage and impact damage was evident to one wing and the fuselage belly. The flaps appeared to be full down. Both occupants exited the airplane unassisted and were transported to a hospital for medical treatment and evaluation. The winds at the accident site were from the south at an estimated 10 mph, with occasional variations in the direction from west through east. The pilot was interviewed by telephone at a later time. He reported that he was doing high air work that included slow flight and stalls, when he decided to do some landings at Continental airstrip. He listened to the Airport Terminal Information Service (ATIS) for both Tucson and Nogales (Continental airstrip is almost exactly between the two airports, which are about 15 to 20 miles north and south of the airstrip), and both were reporting calm wind conditions. He did not overfly the airport to check for wind indications, and performed an extended right base entry to a long final approach. Neither he nor his passenger saw any indications of unusual wind activity, and assumed the wind was calm. About 100 feet above ground level (agl) on short final approach to runway 1, the airplane encountered a down draft and literally "fell to the runway." The airplane bounced very hard, then bounced again and became airborne. He realized that trying to save the landing was not a good idea so he added full power to go around and abort the landing. The airplane became airborne and headed off the right side of the runway toward a hill rising about 40 feet that was about 200 feet from the pavement. The airplane was sluggish and would not climb, and he had trouble trying to make it turn to the left. He said he did not have time to retract the flaps before impact with the hillside. Both pilots indicated that prior to impact, the engine sounds were normal. It was later established that controls were functional and continuous, and no mechanical anomalies present. Using a Safety Board computer program, the density altitude was calculated at 5,050 feet mean sea level (msl). ## Aircraft - Registration: [N754LT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N754LT-2005-02-04), registration cancelled 2005-02-04, S/N 17264815, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172M - Registry model: [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (registry code 2072418) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172-64815 - Airframe hours: 10312.2 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Wright Flight Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 4, 2001, 88.7 hours before - Departed: OLS, Nogales, AZ - Destination: KTUS, Tucson, AZ - Airport: 35AZ, Continental Airstrip, runway 01, 3,500 × 50 ft, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review October 3, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 116 total, 62 in this make and model, 116 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days - Co-pilot; age 47; injuries: minor; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review March 6, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 4,200 total, 400 in this make and model, 2,700 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 0° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: KTUS, 17 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020508008219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020508008219A), May 8, 2002: Cessna 172M, Continental, AZ, No damage. (.19) On may 8, 2002, at 1030 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N754LT, collided with terrain during an attempted go-around from the Continental airstrip… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54657. 610 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 436 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40437776&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Telephone conversation with officer (item 2, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186109&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Telephone%20conversation%20with%20officer-Master.PDF - Telephone conversation with owner (item 3, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186110&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Telephone%20conversation%20with%20owner-Master.PDF - Telephone conversation with pilot (item 4, .PDF, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186112&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Telephone%20conversation%20with%20pilot-Master.PDF - Telephone conversation with Air Transport (item 5, .PDF, 25 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186114&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Telephone%20conversation%20with%20Air%20Transport-Master.PDF 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.