N29572 Cessna 177A accident

NTSB FTW98LA413 · 1998-09-27 · BELEN, NM · near E80

Summary

The pilot had obtained a weather briefing and had received VFR flight following services from Albuquerque ARTCC. Radar services were terminated when the airplane was 22 miles south of Belen. The pilot proceeded under visual meteorological rules to Belen and made a straight-in approach to runway 03 (6,600 ft. x 60 ft., asphalt). The pilot said she noticed there was another airplane in the pattern that was turning base leg. She was unsure of the pilot's intentions because he was not using his radio. The pilot made the decision to land behind this traffic. She flared for landing and inadvertently stalled the airplane. The airplane collided with terrain short of the runway. The nose wheel landing gear was destroyed on impact. The firewall was also damaged.

Full narrative

On September 27, 1998, approximately 1100 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 177A, N29572, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing approach at Belen, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Las Cruces, New Mexico, at 0930.

According to the pilot's accident report, she had obtained a weather briefing and had received VFR flight following services from Albuquerque ARTCC. Radar services were terminated when the airplane was 22 miles south of Belen. The pilot proceeded under visual meteorological rules to Belen and made a straight-in approach to runway 03 (6,600 ft. x 60 ft., asphalt). The pilot said she noticed there was another airplane in the pattern that was turning base leg. She was unsure of the pilot's intentions because he was not using his radio. The pilot of N29572 made the decision to land behind this traffic. She flared for landing and inadvertently stalled the airplane. The airplane collided with terrain short of the runway. The nose wheel landing gear was destroyed on impact. The firewall was also damaged.

Probable cause

The pilot inadvertently stalling the airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident.

Circumstances

Event type: Accident
Highest injury: Minor
Weather conditions: Visual Meteorological Cond
Light condition: Day
Sky condition: NONE
Ceiling (ft): 0
Visibility (sm): 10
Wind direction: 330
Wind speed (kt): 5
Temperature (F): 72
Nearest airport: BELEN MUNICIPAL
Distance from field: 0.0
Airport elevation: 5191

Aircraft

Registration	Make	Model	Damage	FAR part
N29572	Cessna	177A	SUBS	091

Sequence of events

#	Occurrence	Phase
1	250	Cruise
2	230	Cruise

Findings

Finding
24535
24551	cause
19200