Piper PA-28-140 accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, October 12, 2003
On October 12, 2003 at about 8:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N891GP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Las Cruces International airport). It was a positioning 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the CFI's failure to maintain aircraft control during a go-around resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush and impact with terrain. Contributing factors include the CFI's inadequate supervision, the private pilot's delayed relinquishing of control, and the inadvertent stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2003 · about 8:08 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-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N891GP · registry record · serial 28-23847
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), they were stopping for fuel. The private pilot, flying the airplane from the left seat, was attempting to land on runway 08. During the landing flare, a wind gust caused the airplane to drift left of the runway centerline. The private pilot corrected the left drift, pulled the throttle, and continued to land. The CFI stated that upon touchdown, the airplane "immediately veered hard to the left about a 60 degree angle." At that point the CFI added power and initiated a go-around. During the attempted go-around, the private pilot pulled the throttle a second time. The CFI said that he then "took control of the airplane and put the power back in for a go-around." He said he managed to get the airplane airborne, but was not attempting to correct for the drift because they were too "low and slow." As the airplane approached the end of the runway, the airplane began to mush and the right main landing gear struck a patch of sagebrush. The airplane struck the ground and bounced a few feet before impacting a dirt berm.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 485 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 122 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command; 125 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 3, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AMA Amarillo TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: AEG Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 7,494 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 120 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:10 pm from LRU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 DEN04LA009.