Piper PA-38-112 accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, December 19, 1987
On December 19, 1987 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N23497, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Crawford airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 1987 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Crawford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N23497 · registry record · serial 38-81A0145
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PRACTICING CROSSWIND LANDINGS THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE STUDENT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY WITH APRX 5 KNOT CROSSWIND. UPON TOUCH DOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR INBD RETENTION BOLT HAD FAILED CAUSING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE ACFT. METALLURGIST EXAMINATION OF THE BROKEN BOLT REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE. THE BOLT WAS PIPER PART NUMBER 402 742.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,833 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 9,633 as pilot in command; 5,344 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,835 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1987; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LRU Las Cruces NM at 7:30 pm
- Destination: LRU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from ELP, 43 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.