Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 N552XL
2 March 2022 · Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 March 2022 at about 21:30 local time, a Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 registered N552XL was involved in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- Las Cruces Intl (LRU)
- Coordinates
- 32.2979, -106.9105
- Aircraft
- Liberty LIBERTY XL-2
- Registration
- N552XL
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2006
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Marana
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR22LA116
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Liberty LIBERTY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Feb 2016 | Liberty LIBERTY XL | Orlando, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 | Burlington, North Carolina, United States | TAA Flight Training | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2010 | Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 | Brunswick, Georgia, United States | SunQuest Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Apr 2009 | Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 | Camarillo, California, United States | Armed Forces Flying Club, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 2006 | Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 2022 | Miller-Thorp T-18 TIGER | Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Feb 2022 | Cessna 180 | Carrizozo, New Mexico, United States | Mark Dankel | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2022 | Robinson R44 II | Folsom, New Mexico, United States | HELI AG LLC (Ray Griffith) | No injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 2022 | Eads Socata TBM 700 | Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Dec 2022 | Aeronca 65-CA | Deming, New Mexico, United States | Jones Cody | No injuries | - |
| 14 May 2022 | Cessna 140 | Estancia, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |