# Accident 19970522011759A: Cessna 172RG, Rio Hondo, TX, May 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 22, 1997, 12:00 local time
- Place: Rio Hondo, TX
- Airport: Farm Services Inc Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.2302° N, 97.5808° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.2302&lon=-97.5808&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9492D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9492D-1998-01-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172RG (registry code 2072438, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172rg) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172RG
- Reported engine: LYC O360F1A6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 245 total, 53 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA197) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970522011759A

## Narrative

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

HIGH AND FAST ON SECOND TRY TO LAND. HYDROPLANED IN STANDING WATER ON RUNWAY. SLID OFF END. WING HIT TREE AND DITCH (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED A RAINSHOWER APPROACHING THE AIRPORT. BY THE TIME HE ARRIVED OVER THE AIRPORT, HALF THE AIRPORT WAS COVERED BY THE SHOWER. THE PILOT'S FIRST APPROACH WAS TOO HIGH AND HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS WITH THE AIRPORT TOTALLY COVERED BY THE SHOWER. ON THE SECOND APPROACH THE PILOT WAS AGAIN HIGH DESPITE HAVING FLAPS SET FULL DOWN AT 30 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROXIMATELY 1100 FEET DOWN THE 2600 X 21 FOOT RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY INITIALLY HAS A LANDING HEADING OF 180 DEGREES BUT NEAR THE HALFWAY POINT CHANGES HEADING TO 170 DEGREES. THERE WAS SOME STANDING WATER ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE RIGHT-SIDE OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY CRSOOING 200 FEET OF GRASS UNTIL REACHING A DITCH. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE DITCH WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET WIDE AND TEN FEET DEEP.  THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DITCH AND THE EMPENNAGE WAS                                  RESTING ON THE NORTH SIDE. THE LEFT WING HIT A TREE ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE DITCH CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE WING AND CABIN STRUCTURE.  THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED REARWARD CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CABIN FLOORING AND THE ENGINE FIREWALL. THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE CABIN WAS SPLIT OPEN.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLASSIFIED DESTROYED BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

## 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 FTW97LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA197), May 22, 1997: Cessna 172RG (N9492D), Rio Hondo, TX, destroyed. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to use all of the available runway during landing, and his resultant failure to attain a proper touchdown point for a safe rollout. Factors relating to the accident were: the wet…

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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