Cessna 172S N21767

Summary

On 10 June 2016 at about 21:20 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N21767, operated by Air America Flight Center LLC, was involved in an accident near Deming, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 2016 at 21:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Deming, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Deming Municipal Airport (DMN)

Coordinates

32.2625, -107.7189

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N21767

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

Air America Flight Center LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Deming → Fort Stockton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA228

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilots’ failure to maintain adequate control of the airplane during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the operation of the airplane above its maximum takeoff weight at a high density altitude 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 pilots were departing on a cross-country flight. A witness who saw the airplane shortly after takeoff observed the airplane turn back toward the airport, enter a steep right bank, and descend toward the ground. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down, right-wing-low attitude. Witnesses on a golf course next to the airport reported that airplane's engine was running at the time of impact. Neither pilot has any memory of the takeoff or the crash. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure of the flight control system or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller exhibited damage that was consistent with the engine producing power at impact. Calculations indicate that the airplane was at least 131 lbs over the maximum takeoff weight before the flight. The required takeoff distance and climb performance could not be determined because the airplane's weight exceeded the pilot operating handbook's performance chart parameters. However, overall airplane flight performance is reduced as the airplane's weight increases, resulting in a higher takeoff speed, longer takeoff run, reduced rate and angle of climb, and higher aerodynamic stalling speed. Additionally, the density altitude was about 7,736 ft at the time of the accident, which likely further increased the takeoff distance required for liftoff and adversely affected the engine power available and the climb rate. Given the available information, the pilots did not maintain adequate control of the airplane during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.