Piper PA-28-140 N891GP

Summary

On 12 October 2003 at about 20:08 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N891GP was involved in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 October 2003 at 20:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Las Cruces International (LRU)

Coordinates

32.2894, -106.9219

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N891GP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Amarillo → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

DEN04LA009

Nobody was injured.

the CFI's failure to maintain aircraft control during a go-around resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush and impact with terrain. Contributing factors include the CFI's inadequate supervision, the private pilot's delayed relinquishing of control, and the inadvertent stall/mush.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), they were stopping for fuel. The private pilot, flying the airplane from the left seat, was attempting to land on runway 08. During the landing flare, a wind gust caused the airplane to drift left of the runway centerline. The private pilot corrected the left drift, pulled the throttle, and continued to land. The CFI stated that upon touchdown, the airplane "immediately veered hard to the left about a 60 degree angle." At that point the CFI added power and initiated a go-around. During the attempted go-around, the private pilot pulled the throttle a second time. The CFI said that he then "took control of the airplane and put the power back in for a go-around." He said he managed to get the airplane airborne, but was not attempting to correct for the drift because they were too "low and slow." As the airplane approached the end of the runway, the airplane began to mush and the right main landing gear struck a patch of sagebrush. The airplane struck the ground and bounced a few feet before impacting a dirt berm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.