# Accident 19970216001639A: Cessna 172M, San Antonio, TX, February 16, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 16, 1997, 12:39 local time
- Place: San Antonio, TX
- Airport: Stinson Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.5399° N, 98.4893° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5399&lon=-98.4893&mi=10
- Aircraft: N80814, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N80814-2017-03-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2D
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 157 total, 58 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA104) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970216001639A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT STALLED ON FINAL APPROACH, CRASHED INTO A HANGAR. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 16, 1997, MR. ROBERT GALVAN, HOLDER OF PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NO. 452587215, ACTED AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF CESSNA 172M, N80814, ONA VFR FLIGHT FROM SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO STINSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. DURING THE FIFTH LANDING APPROACH, MR. GALVAN REALIZED THAT HIS APPROACH WAS TOO HIGH. MR. GALVAN STATED THAT "HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE STALL WARNING STARTED TO BUZZ", AND THAT AT APPROXIMATLEY 200-300 FEET AGL, THE "LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO FALL." MR. GALVAN RIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE POINT THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RAMP AREA WITH THE LEFT WING TIP AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FIRST. MR. GALVAN WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT HIT A HANGAR. MR. GALVAN WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. MR. GALVAN WILL UNDERGO A SEC. 44709 REEXAMINATION.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Y.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR OVER A YEAR, SO HE ELECTED TO RENT AN AIRPLANE AND FLY TO A NEARBY AIRPORT TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON HIS FIFTH APPROACH TO A FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 14, 'HE FOUND HIMSELF HIGH FOR LANDING AND ALLOWED HIS AIRSPEED TO GET TOO SLOW AFTER HE CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE WITH FULL FLAPS.' ACCORDING TO THE PILOT: 'A GUST OF WIND FLIPPED THE RIGHT WING UPWARD, SENDING THE AIRPLANE INTO A DIVING TURN TO THE LEFT.' THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AFTER THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE DOOR OF A HANGAR LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS CALM. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION AND STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE SOUND OF THE STALL WARNING HORN.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97LA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA104), Feb 16, 1997: Cessna 172M (N80814), San Antonio, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall. A factor was the pilot's lack of recent experience.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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