Cessna 172S accident near Gallup, New Mexico, April 12, 2005
On April 12, 2005 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N520ER, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gallup, New Mexico (Gallup Municipal 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 pilot's premature liftoff and inadequate remedial action, which resulted in the airplane inadvertently recontacting the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2005 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gallup, New Mexico · Gallup Municipal · 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
- N520ER · registry record · serial 17258923
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained damage to the firewall and several bulkheads when it settled firmly back onto the runway during takeoff. The pilot rotated the airplane at 55 knots and it rose off the runway slightly, but struggled to gain airspeed and altitude. The pilot allowed the nose to lower for airspeed, and the tires touched firmly back on the runway. According to the pilot, the contact happened in a flat attitude with the nose gear touching first, but not more so than a hard landing. The pilot allowed airspeed to increase and proceeded with a normal takeoff. The engine indications were normal, and control surfaces responded normally for the remainder of the flight. Maintenance personnel examined the airplane after completion of the flight and discovered structural damage to the firewall and airframe bulkheads. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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: 119 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUP Gallup NM at 10:30 pm
- Destination: PRC Prescott AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24, 7,316 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from GUP
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 N520ER 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.