- Date
- September 29, 2005, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Batesville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5343UCessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- San Antonio, Texas
- FAA report
- 20050929027479A
- Case key
- 62609
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the tree. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.
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 2,779-hour private pilot performed a short/soft field takeoff from a dirt road that was oriented in a northeasterly direction. About 15 feet above ground level (agl) the single-engine airplane drifted to the right side of the road and the outer 12 inches of the right wing came into contact with branches from a mature mesquite tree. As the airplane yawed and banked to the right, the pilot responded by applying full left aileron and rudder to no avail. Shortly thereafter the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest in an upright position. The pilot and sole passenger were able to egress the airplane unassisted. There was no post-impact fire. The wind was reported from approximately 60 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.
Factual narrative
This report is based on information received by the NTSB. Additional details may be found in the NTSB's public docket for this case. For further information, please contact the NTSB Office of Public Inquiries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5343U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9362
- Airframe hours
- 235
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ron Sprague
- Registered owner
- Gendry and Sprague, P.C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2004 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Batesville, TX
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,779 total · 500 in this make and model · 33 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.