- Date
- August 7, 1983, 11:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5259FCessna 172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830807039099A
- Case key
- 20752
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Two plts & 2 passengers departed san angelo, TX, on a x-country flt, one of the plts, who had 95 hrs of flying time, was the pilot-in-command (PIC) for the 1st leg of the x-country to El Paso, TX. On the next leg, the other plt assumed duties as PIC & signed the flt plan. During an intersection takeoff with 5600 ft remaining, the acft lifted off after rolling an estmated 1500 ft. it then climbed to an estimated max alt of about 300 ft. the plt accepted a turn to 120 deg to make way for a departing jet. After starting the turn, the acft suddenly dropped, losing about 1/3 of its alt. A witness reported that it climbed & dropped 2 more times. On the lost time, it crashed in the desert in a steep descent. No preimpact/mechanical problem was found. The props had evidence of hi rotational damage. The density alt was estimated to be 6424 ft. tower personnel described the acft as being near its stall speed from lift-off until it crashed. The acft was estimated to be 38 lbs over its max gross wt limit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5259F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253371
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- U S Air Force, doing business as Aero Club
- Registered owner
- U.S. Air Force
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- PEQ · Pecos, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ELP · El Paso International
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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 71 total · 7 in this make and model · 34 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.