Cessna 120 N72580

Summary

On 3 August 2016 at about 13:45 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N72580 was involved in an accident near Belen, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 2016 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Belen, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Alexander Muni (E80)

Coordinates

34.6508, -106.8269

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N72580

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Lunas → Belen

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA412

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and a ground loop.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The tailwheel endorsed pilot reported that he was practicing stop and go landing's in a make and model tailwheel-equipped airplane that he had never flown before. During the fourth stop and go, the pilot reported that during the landing roll at 35 miles per hour the airplane began to turn to the right and he attempted to correct. Subsequently, the airplane continued to the right, departed the runway, and ground looped. During the ground loop, the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing was substantially damaged after the impact with terrain. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.