- Date
- January 7, 2026, 14:03 local (20:03 UTC)
- Place
- San Marcos, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5136ECessna 172
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 19, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA San Antonio FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260107000279A
- Case key
- 202304
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s failure to properly configure the elevator trim for the takeoff, that resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s failure to follow the before takeoff checklist.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor was going to demonstrate to the pilot receiving instruction, a short-field takeoff, with a simulated loss of engine power, as required per the flight school lesson plan. The flight instructor reported that he configured the airplane for the takeoff. Once the airplane had climbed to about 100 ft agl, he reduced the engine power to idle and began the descent back to the runway. The flight instructor noticed that the flight controls “seemed heavy” and the airplane was “descending fast.” The airplane landed hard on the runway and came to rest upright. The airplane taxied to the ramp without further incident, the airplane was shut down, and both occupants departed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane found the elevator trim was set to the full nose down position for the takeoff. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The operator further reported that the accident could have been prevented if the flight instructor had adhered to the published maneuver procedure and profile, for the maneuver that was being demonstrated. The airplane’s before takeoff checklist includes a step to configure the elevator trim for the takeoff. The FAA Aviation Instructor’s Handbook FAA-8083-9B discusses checklists and states in part: Checklists are essential flight deck resources for verifying that the aircraft instruments and systems are checked, set, and operating properly, as well as ensuring that the proper procedures are performed if there is a system malfunction or inflight emergency.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5136E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271729
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 8,289.9
- Engine
- Lycoming Engines O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- US Aviation Academy, doing business as US Aviation Academy
- Registered owner
- Wings Over Texas Holdings LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 1, 2025 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- HYI · San Marcos, TX
- Destination
- HYI · San Marcos, TX
- Airport
- HYI · San Marcos Rgnl, runway 17/35, 5,214 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 16, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 564 total · 515 in this make and model · 357 as pilot in command · 185 in the last 90 days · 62 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- March 4, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,199.8 total · 23 in this make and model · 535.4 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KHYI
- METAR
- KHYI 071956Z 16011KT 6SM HZ CLR 26/18 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP111 T02560183 $
Docket · 9
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 19, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.