Plane Crash List

Cessna 152 N4628Q

8 December 1991 · Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 8 December 1991 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N4628Q, operated by N. American Inst. of Aviation, was involved in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 17:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
Coordinates
32.2200, -106.9896
Aircraft
Cessna 152
Registration
N4628Q
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
N. American Inst. of Aviation
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
FTW92LA039

People

1 person had minor injuries.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 1 0

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S MISJUDGMENT OF THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE WHICH LED TO A SITUATION WHERE IT COULD NOT CLIMB ABOVE THE RISING TERRAIN. A FACTOR WAS THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE WHICH EXISTED IN THE MOUNTAINS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT HAD COMPLETED HIS PRIVATE PILOT MANEUVER SEQUENCE AND WAS RETURNING TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE MOUNTAIN AND RISING TERRAIN BETWEEN HIM AND THE AIRPORT, BUT THOUGHT HE WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM CROSSING OVER THEM. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ENDED UP IN A RAVINE BETWEEN TWO HILLS WITH THE AIRPLANE IN A SLIGHT CLIMB. HE SAW A BLIND CANYON IN FRONT OF HIM AND TURNED LEFT WHERE HE ENCOUNTERED A SECOND BLIND CANYON. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE RISING TERRAIN AND ADDED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS, HOWEVER, THAT DID NOT ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM. THE NOSE GEAR THEN STRUCK BRUSH IN THE RAVINE AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE SITE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 7,550 FEET.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 152 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
4 Jul 1991 Cessna 152
N69061
Rutland, Vermont, United States
no coordinates
Alpine Aviation No injuries -
11 May 1991 Cessna 152
N69101
Pontiac, Michigan, United States Kitze Avaition, Inc. No injuries -
17 Jan 1991 Cessna 152
N65418
Miami, Florida, United States Silver Express, Inc. No injuries -
17 Jul 1991 Cessna 152
N6489B
Springwater, New York, United States State Aerial Farm Statistics No injuries -
18 Feb 1991 Cessna 152
N24913
St. Cloud, Florida, United States
no coordinates
Brown's Seaplane Base, Inc. No injuries -
17 Oct 1991 Cessna 152 II
N4712B
Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States Tri-Air Flight School No injuries -

All 3,030 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
29 Dec 1991 Cessna 150E
N306BJ
Glenwood, New Mexico, United States Fred & Beverly Chappell Minor injuries -
2 Mar 1991 Cessna T210M
N761MU
Taos, New Mexico, United States New Mexico Flying Service Fatal 1
5 Mar 1991 Beechcraft 58
N2019V
Whites City, New Mexico, United States Stipp, Robert J. Fatal 2
11 Sep 1991 Butler AEROSTAR 600
N4VH
Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States Franklin, Jimmy M. Fatal 2
16 Sep 1991 Cessna 182G
N3223S
Elida, New Mexico, United States Claude B. McAfee Fatal 3
15 Sep 1991 Cessna 172N
N4868F
Tererro, New Mexico, United States Pegasus Flight Center Fatal 2

All 170,864 records in United States