Piper PA-12 accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, October 2, 1999
On October 2, 1999 at about 1:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N2493M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Las Cruces International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent ground loop/swerve during landing. A factor was his attention being diverted by a malfunctioning throttle control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 1999 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Las Cruces International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2493M · registry record · serial 12-1561
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that while on final approach to runway 26, engine power remained too high even though the throttle had been completely retarded. On the second approach, engine power was still too high even with the throttle closed. He initiated a second go around and when the airplane was 50 feet above the ground, the mixture control was slowly moved towards idle cutoff 'to decrease power.' The airplane touched down at high speed. Directional control was lost when the pilot became distracted, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The left wing buckled when it struck the runway, and the side loads tore off the left main landing gear and damaged the right main landing gear. It was later discovered that the clamp securing the throttle sleeve to the throttle housing had come loose, allowing the sleeve (not the cable) to move when the throttle control was operated.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 348 hours in all; 348 in this make and model; 348 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,596 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1999; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELP El Paso TX at 1:00 pm
- Destination: LRU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 6,073 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from ELP, 48 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN00LA003.