Cessna 177 accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, December 31, 2000
On December 31, 2000 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N29572, 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; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent stall. Factors were excessive airspeed, excessive flare, and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2000 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Las Cruces International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N29572 · no longer on the register · serial 17700969
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flared for landing 4 to 5 feet above the ground using full flaps. The touch down was smooth but airspeed was above stall and the pilot applied back pressure to keep the nose wheel off the ground. The airplane lifted off, stalled, struck the ground and bounced. The pilot attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane swerved off the left side of the runway into sand and brush.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,013 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 905 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2000; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesilla Valley Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LRU Las Cruces NM at 5:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 6,069 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from LRU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N29572 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.