LAS CRUCES, NM, USA
N4628Q
CESSNA 152
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.
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.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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