A Cirrus SR22T GTS G6 Arrivée suffered a landing gear collapse on September 10, 2026, while performing touch-and-go landings at Doña Ana County International Jetport in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The aircraft, identified as N615LT, reportedly lost control while landing on Runway 28.
Doña Ana County officials said emergency crews responded to the crash Thursday morning. Two people aboard the aircraft received minor injuries and refused transport. The runway was secured after the incident, and authorities said it was expected to reopen later that afternoon.
Available information indicates the flight departed from and was returning to Doña Ana County International Jetport. The cause of the loss of control and landing gear collapse remains under investigation.
Touch-and-go landings require precise aircraft control
A touch-and-go landing is a training or proficiency maneuver in which an aircraft lands, briefly rolls on the runway, and then takes off again without stopping. These maneuvers require coordinated control inputs, proper airspeed management, correct flap and power settings, runway alignment, and quick decision-making.
This incident reportedly occurred during touch-and-goes on Runway 28. During that phase, the aircraft may be transitioning rapidly from landing configuration back to takeoff configuration. If the aircraft drifts, bounces, lands hard, loses directional control, or experiences a mechanical issue, the pilot may have limited time to correct the problem before the aircraft departs the runway environment or damages the landing gear.
A small plane crash during landing does not have to involve a high-speed impact to raise important safety questions. A loss of control on the runway can still result in serious aircraft damage, occupant injuries, runway closure, and a detailed FAA or NTSB review.
Loss of control during landing
Loss of control on landing can happen for many reasons. Investigators may review whether the aircraft touched down firmly, bounced, veered, encountered a gust, landed off-centerline, or experienced a control or braking issue. They may also examine whether the pilot attempted to continue the touch-and-go after an unstable touchdown or whether the landing gear collapsed during the roll.
A hard landing can place unusual loads on the landing gear, tires, brakes, and airframe. In some cases, the landing gear may fail because of impact forces. In others, a mechanical issue may exist before touchdown and become apparent only during landing rollout.
The Cirrus SR22T is a high-performance single-engine aircraft. During landing, the pilot must manage energy, alignment, descent rate, and aircraft configuration carefully. If the aircraft is too fast, too slow, misaligned, or unstable near touchdown, the margin for correction can narrow quickly.
Runway 28 conditions and crosswind issues
The aircraft reportedly lost control while landing on Runway 28. Investigators may review wind speed, wind direction, runway surface, visibility, temperature, density altitude, and any available airport weather observations.
Crosswinds can be especially important during landing. A crosswind can push an aircraft away from runway centerline, require coordinated rudder and aileron inputs, and make directional control more difficult during touchdown and rollout. Gusts can also cause a sudden change in lift or sink rate just above the runway.
There is no indication yet that weather caused this crash. Still, adverse weather and wind conditions are standard areas of review after a landing loss-of-control accident, especially when a light aircraft is involved.
Landing gear collapse questions
A landing gear collapse can result from impact forces, side loads, mechanical failure, improper maintenance, or damage during a runway excursion. Investigators may examine the nose gear, main landing gear, tires, brakes, struts, attachment points, wheel assemblies, and surrounding airframe structure.
If the gear collapsed after the aircraft lost directional control, the key issue may be what caused the aircraft to veer or load the gear abnormally. If the gear failed first, the question may be whether a component defect, inspection issue, or prior damage contributed to the collapse.
Aircraft maintenance records may be important. Investigators may review recent inspections, landing gear maintenance, prior hard landings, tire and brake condition, service bulletins, and any unresolved squawks. Compliance with any applicable Airworthiness Directive may also be evaluated.
Go-around decision-making
A touch-and-go landing involves an intentional transition from landing to takeoff. But if a landing becomes unstable, a pilot may need to discontinue the maneuver, execute a go-around, or bring the aircraft to a stop if it is already on the runway and stopping can be done safely.
Investigators may examine whether the aircraft was stable before touchdown, whether the pilot had time to reject the touch-and-go, and whether continuing the maneuver contributed to the runway incident. The review may also consider whether the aircraft’s configuration, power application, or control inputs during the transition affected directional control.
Aviation accident attorneys often look closely at whether training maneuvers were being performed safely, whether the pilot had appropriate experience in the aircraft, and whether any mechanical or environmental factor made the maneuver more difficult.
Evidence the investigation may consider
Important flight data may include ADS-B data, avionics data, GPS information, engine monitor data, airport surveillance, radio communications, weather records, and witness observations. The aircraft’s final approach path, touchdown point, speed, runway alignment, and rollout path may all help explain what happened.
Physical evidence may include runway marks, tire marks, scrape marks, propeller damage, landing gear damage, airframe deformation, and photographs from the scene. The position of the aircraft after the collapse may also show whether it veered, yawed, bounced, or slid after touchdown.
An official accident report may later provide more detail about injuries, aircraft damage, weather conditions, pilot experience, and the suspected cause of the loss of control.
Legal issues after a landing accident
Aviation crashes during training or proficiency maneuvers can involve several potential issues. An aviation accident attorney may evaluate pilot decision-making, aircraft maintenance, runway conditions, weather, aircraft ownership, instructor involvement if any, and whether a mechanical defect or maintenance problem contributed to the landing gear collapse.
Even when injuries are initially described as minor, occupants should be alert for delayed symptoms. A hard landing or runway loss-of-control event can cause back pain, neck pain, head injury symptoms, bruising, anxiety, or other problems that develop after the initial adrenaline wears off.
If maintenance, aircraft condition, defective components, or unsafe operational decisions played a role, injured occupants may need to understand what claims are available and what evidence must be preserved.
Speak With an Aviation Accident Attorney After a Landing Gear Collapse
Spagnoletti Law Firm represents people and families affected by serious aviation accidents, small plane crashes, and other catastrophic events. When an aircraft loses control during a touch-and-go landing and suffers landing gear collapse, it is important to determine whether pilot decision-making, aircraft maintenance, runway conditions, crosswinds, mechanical issues, or other safety factors contributed to the crash.
An aviation accident attorney can help preserve evidence, review official findings, evaluate aircraft maintenance records, identify responsible parties, and determine whether injured occupants may have a claim.
We offer a free consultation, and we handle aviation accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront attorney’s fees and we are paid only if we recover compensation for you.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a plane crash, call Spagnoletti Law Firm at 713-804-9306 or contact us online.