- Date
- March 2, 2022, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM · Near airport perimeter fence
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N552XLLiberty Aerospace Liberty XL-2
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220302003079A
- Case key
- 104728
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 airplane’s inability to climb during takeoff due to a degradation of engine performance due to high density altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the takeoff.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during takeoff with a density altitude of 6,750 ft and the airplane’s weight near gross weight, the airplane’s acceleration seemed sluggish. The airplane lifted off about 1/3 of the way down the runway after achieving 55 knot rotation speed, but the climb was also “sluggish”. The airplane cleared the airport perimeter fence and began to settle. The airplane subsequently touched down on soft dirt and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and he believed that the cause of the accident was a combination of high-density altitude and the airplane’s weight close to the maximum allowable gross weight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N552XL
- Reported as
- Liberty Aerospace Liberty XL-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0042
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 384.9
- Engine
- Continental Motor IOF-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gaumer John R Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 2022
- Destination
- AVQ · Marana, AZ
- Airport
- LRU · Las Cruces Intl, runway 04, 7,501 × 105 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 29, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,278.5 total · 373.8 in this make and model · 2,087.3 as pilot in command · 11.4 in the last 90 days · 11.4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KLRU, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KLRU 022135Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/M07 A3014 RMK AO2 T02591066
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 8, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.