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 during an attempted go-around at Las Cruces International Airport, though both occupants, a commercial pilot with a flight instructor rating and a private pilot, were uninjured.
- The incident stemmed from conflicting pilot actions after a wind gust caused the aircraft to drift; the private pilot attempted to land while the commercial pilot repeatedly initiated a go-around, leading to multiple throttle changes and control transfers before the aircraft collided with terrain.
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