- Date
- May 3, 1989, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Burnet, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5253KCessna 172P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890503010679A
- Case key
- 22769
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
Continued VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft, due to spatial disorientation. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
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 non-instrument rated pilot was advised before departing on a cross country flight that VFR flight was not recommended. He departed without filing a flight plan. Before reaching an intermediate stop, he obtained an updated weather briefing for the local area and his final destination. After refueling, he took off and proceeded toward his destination which was aprx 156 NM to the east. A large slow moving frontal system was positioned over northcentral Texas at the time. The pilot's route of flight was along the southern boundary of the front. Light drizzle, fog, and low ceilings existed along the route of flight. Subsequently, the airplane entered a descent & crashed aprx 63 mi southwest of the destination airport after about 3 hrs & 20 minutes of flight. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the airplane was found, though it was badly damaged during impact. Several local people stated there was low ceilings, fog and drizzle at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5253K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274032
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregory A. Gordon
- Departed
- SJT · San Angelo, TX
- Destination
- F60 · Mcgregor, TX
- 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 299 total · 25 in this make and model · 285 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 30 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft
- 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.