Cessna 172P accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, November 27, 2023
On November 27, 2023 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 172P, registered N5495K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Las Cruces, New Mexico (Las Cruces Intl airport). It was a personal 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
An encounter with a downdraft during an approach to land, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2023 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Las Cruces, New Mexico · Las Cruces Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P, built 1980 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5495K · registry record · serial 17274160
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At the time of the accident, the student pilot was on a solo cross-country flight to obtain a private, single engine airplane add-on to his certificate. He reported that during a landing attempt he noted that the approach was stable at a constant airspeed and power setting. The pilot said that at an unknown point in the approach, he experienced a downdraft as he felt “a little push down” and observed a rapid change in his rate of descent. The pilot could not recall at what altitude he encountered the downdraft. The airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The weather station at the airport reported that the wind was calm at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, student
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,158 hours in all; 32 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,530 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 3, 2023; 98.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-320-D2J (piston); 9,031 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELP El Paso TX at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 6,069 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 am from KLRU
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLRU 271715Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 07/M05 A3027 RMK AO2 T00701048=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 1, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Email Correspondence with Pilot | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5495K 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.