Cessna 172H N2526L

Summary

On 26 June 2000 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 172H registered N2526L was involved in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 June 2000 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Angel Fire (AXX)

Coordinates

36.3904, -105.2694

Aircraft

Cessna 172H

Registration

N2526L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Amarillo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00FA119

2 people died.

The pilot's improper inflight decision to prematurely attempt a climb towards rising terrain before sufficient altitude had been attained that would assure adequate obstacle clearance. Factors were high density altitude and trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane took off and made two complete climbing circuits of the airport before proceeding south towards rising terrain. A lineman said he 'could tell they were having trouble gaining altitude,' and watched as the airplane disappeared behind trees south of town near a golf course. A witness said the airplane came over his house at low altitude, clipped trees, spun around, hit the roadway, and caught fire. The accident site was 4.2 miles south of the airport. The difference between the accident site elevation and the airport elevation is 353 feet. Density altitude was calculated at 11,197 feet msl. The airplane weighed an estimated 1,987 pounds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.