Event CEN10CA384

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that while en route on a cross-country flight, he decided to stop at the Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP) in order to get fuel. He also believed that the airport’s lower elevation would be a better choice than his original planned stop. He added that at unfamiliar airports, he preferred to do a “touch-n-go” before landing. So, he did a normal approach and touched down before adding “full-throttle”, and “took-off at 80-mph; [however, and] only got to about 35-40 feet (of altitude).” Once past the runway end, he started to lose altitude. The pilot leaned out the airplane’s engine but kept losing altitude. Believing that he could not make it back to the runway, he looked for a place for a forced landing. The pilot reported he was unable to make his landing spot and that his only option was to “simply pull-up the nose and pancake in”. During the maneuver the airplane’s left wing struck the ground and subsequently both the airplane's left and right wings separated. The engine remained attached to the fuselage by the various electrical/control wires and cables. The pilot reported no pre-impact anomalies with the airplane’s flight controls or engine. A post accident calculation of the density altitude, indicated that at the time of accident, the density altitude was about 10,200 feet. While en route on a cross-country flight, the pilot decided to land at an upcoming airport to replenish the airplane's fuel supply. He chose that specific airport because he thought that its lower elevation would be a better choice than his original planned stop. As was his normal practice at an unfamiliar airport, he opted to perform a touch-and-go practice takeoff and landing. After a normal touchdown, he input full throttle and began the departure. As the airplane passed the end of the runway, it began to lose altitude. Believing that he could not make it back to the runway, the pilot attempted to locate a suitable area to make a forced landing. The airplane could not make it to his selected area and collided with terrain, separating both wings from the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact anomalies with the airframe or engine. The density altitude at the time of the accident was about 10,200 feet. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
• F Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-High density altitude-Effect on equipment - F