Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Las Cruces International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005
Wednesday, April 28, 1999 7:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
N46204 experienced an electrical failure shortly after takeoff, and the pilot returned for landing. Just prior to touching down on the runway, N46204 landed on top of N738UF. The pilot of N738UF was performing touch and go landings with his student, and had just touched down when N46204 landed on top of the right wing section. Witnesses reported that the pilot of N46204 requested assistance starting the airplane on the morning of the accident due to a low battery, and the aircraft was hand-propped. According to FAR Part 91.113 (b), 'When weather conditions permit... vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft.' In addition, according to FAR 91.113 (g), 'When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot of N46204's failure to maintain visual lookout and to identify the other aircraft visually during landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/28/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 745 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAS CRUCES |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88005 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LRU |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4454 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 753 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 269 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DMN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4312 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5164 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 116 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 28 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 825 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N46204 | N738UF |
| NTSB Number | DEN99LA067A | DEN99LA067B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172I | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172I | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17257106 | 17270242 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 1998 12:00AM | Mar 2 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | 52 |
| Airframe Hours | -- | 5481 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WEST MESA FLYING ASSOCIATION | VERNON C. WILSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 490 LA COLONIA | 405 MILTON AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS CRUCES | LAS CRUCES |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88005 | 88005 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ADVENTURE AVIATION | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8960 ZIA BLVD. #16 | |
| Operator City | LAS CRUCES | |
| Operator State | NM | |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 88005 | |
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LRU | LRU |
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 740 | 715 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | Q34 | |
| Destination City | PORTALES | |
| Destination State | NM | |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 | 26 |
| Runway Length | 6073 | 6073 |
| Runway Width | 100 | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |