At 1408 mountain time, a Piper PA-28-140 crashed during an attempted go-around at Las Cruces International Airport. The two occupants, one commercial pilot with a flight instructor rating and one private pilot, were not injured. The private pilot was flying from the left seat as the airplane approached Las Cruces for a planned refueling stop. After a wind gust caused the airplane to drift off the runway centerline, the private pilot elected to close the throttle and continue the landing, but the commercial pilot added power to attempt a go-around. The private pilot again closed the throttle before the commercial pilot took control of the aircraft and again added power. The airplane collided with terrain off the departure end of the runway, separating the right landing gear and bending the right wing.
October 12, Las Cruces, N.M. / Piper Cherokee 140
At 1408 mountain time, a Piper PA-28-140 crashed during an attempted go-around at Las Cruces International Airport. The two occupants, one commercial pilot with a flight instructor rating and one private pilot, were not injured. The private pilot was flying from the left seat as the airplane approached Las Cruces for a planned refueling stop. After a wind gust caused the airplane to drift off the runway centerline, the private pilot elected to close the throttle and continue the landing, but the commercial pilot added power to attempt a go-around. The private pilot again closed the throttle before the commercial pilot took control of the aircraft and again added power. The airplane collided...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-28-140 crashed at Las Cruces International Airport during an attempted go-around, though its two occupants were uninjured.
- The incident involved conflicting control inputs between a private pilot and a commercial pilot/instructor after a wind gust caused the aircraft to drift off the runway.
- The private pilot initially tried to land despite the commercial pilot's go-around attempts, leading to a final go-around by the commercial pilot that resulted in the aircraft colliding with terrain and sustaining damage.
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