- Date
- September 20, 1990, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Mason, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N746JGCessna 172L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900920041269A
- Case key
- 17994
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 failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate visual lookout.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The ATP pilot and an observer were maneuvering to avoid buzzards, during an aerial observation flight. The pilot and the passenger were deputies, searching for reported shooting victims. The pilot said the plane struck an unmarked cable at 300 feet AGL and the propeller was deformed. The plane was unable to maintain altitude and the pilot made a forced landing on a brush covered hill top. The engine cowling, both wings and the landing gear were damaged. The right wing spar was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N746JG
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260135
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Ray W. Tschirhart
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airport
- NONE
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 26,306 total · 150 in this make and model · 20,301 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.