Cessna 172S accident near Carlsbad, New Mexico, August 19, 2004
On August 19, 2004 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N849SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlsbad, New Mexico (Cavern City Air Terminal airport). It was an instructional 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
the student pilot's inadequate flare resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the tailwind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2004 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, New Mexico · Cavern City Air Terminal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N849SP · no longer on the register · serial 17258757
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, the airplane landed hard on runway 14 and bounced. During the second touch down, the airplane's propeller struck the runway. The student pilot taxied the airplane clear of the runway and shut down the engine. An examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear was displaced aft and the airplane's firewall was buckled. At 1053 and 1153, the reported wind conditions at CNM were, 320 degrees at 11 knots, and 350 degrees at 9 knots, respectively.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,644.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 2004; 23.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Io-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOB Hobbs NM at 4:45 pm
- Destination: ROS Roswell NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14L, 4,615 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KCNM
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 N849SP 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.