# Accident 20250801013079A: Cessna 172P, Gainesville, TX, August 1, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 1, 2025, 08:02 local time
- Place: Gainesville, TX
- Airport: Gainesville Municipal
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: DBA
- Location: 33.6739° N, 97.2009° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6739&lon=-97.2009&mi=10
- Aircraft: N62296, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N62296) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172P (registry code 2072436, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,250 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA300) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250801013079A

## Narrative

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

ON AUGUST 1ST, 2025, DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT, A STUDENT PILOT AND THE CFI LANDED AT KGLE AIRPORT TO REFUEL BEFORE THE  RETURN TRIP TO KDTO. THE FLIGHT FROM KDTO TO KGLE WAS NORMAL. AFTER REFUELING AND GOING THROUGH THE CHECKLIST, THE PILOT TAXIED TO RUNWAY 36 AND COMPLETED THE RUNUP CHECKLIST, INCLUDING A LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETO CHECK, CARB HEAT TEST, AND OIL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CHECK. ALL CHECKS WERE NORMAL. DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 AT 8:00AM AND AT APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF AND AT 250-300 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT VERIFIED THAT THE STUDENT HAD HER HAND ON THE THROTTLE AND THAT IT WAS FULL FORWARD AND CHECKED THE RPM GAUGE WHICH READ APPROXIMATELY 2000 RPM.

THE PILOT THEN IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR AND TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAID HE BRIEFLY CONSIDERED RETURNING TO THE RUNWAY, BUT DETERMINED IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE DUE TO THE ALTITUDE AND AMOUNT OF RUNWAY REMAINING.

THE PILOT MAINTAINED AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND BEGAN SCANNING FOR OPEN FIELDS TO MAKE A LANDING. HE WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE ALTITUDE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT EVENTUALLY STARTED TO DESCEND. DURING THIS PROCESS, THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED AN ENGINE RESTART WITH THE MAGNETOS. THE PILOT THEN MADE A MAYDAY CALL ON KGLE’S CTAF STATING THAT THEY HAD LOST ENGINE POWER AND WERE GOING TO LAND IN A FARMERS FIELD NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE STUDENT THEN TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF POSITION WHILE THE PILOT PULLED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE SELECTED LANDING SPOT AND AS THEY CROSSED THE TREE LINE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIELD, THE PILOT CHECKED THE AIRSPEED AT 57 KNOTS AND DEPLOYED FLAPS TO ASSIST IN THE DESCENT. THE PILOT ROUNDED OUT INTO GROUND EFFECT AND WAS SATISFIED WITH THE HEIGHT ABOVE GROUND AND THE REMAINING LENGTH OF THE FIELD. THE PILOT HELD THE AIRPLANE OFF UNTIL THE MAIN WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHING DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 8:02AM, THE NOSE WHEEL LOWERED AND CONTACTED THE SOFT TERRAIN AND DUG INTO THE MUD, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER AND FLIP INVERTED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, THE CREW CONFIRMED THEY WERE UNINJURED AND SAFE. THEY THEN UNBUCKLED THE SEAT BELTS AND HARNESSES AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. ONCE AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND WAS HELPED BY THE SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT.

## 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 CEN25LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA300), Aug 1, 2025: Cessna 172P (N62296), Gainesville, TX, substantial damage, investigation ongoing

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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