FTW89LA105

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172 · Addison, TX · May 26, 1989

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report

Date: May 25, 1989, 22:00 local (May 26, 1989, 03:00 UTC)
Place: Addison, TX
Injuries: 1 uninjured
Damage: Substantial damage
Phase of flight: Taxi
Aircraft: N6434JCessna 172
Weather: Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status: Completed · report July 29, 1992
Report: Approved by Office Director
FAA report: 19890525013849A
Case key: 22873

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

Failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the telephone pole. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, the pilot's disorientation, lack of visual perception at night, the telephone (utility) pole, and the ditch.

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.

On ground/water collision with objectTaxi

Light condition - dark nightFactor

Became lost/disoriented - inadvertentPilot in commandFactor

Visual/aural perceptionPilot in commandFactor

Object - utility poleFactor

Clearance - not maintainedPilot in commandCause

On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterTaxi

Terrain condition - ditchFactor

Analysis

During a night operation, the pilot taxied the aircraft onto an adjoining roadway, where it struck an unmarked telephone pole and then veered into a ditch.

Aircraft

Registration: N6434J
Reported as: Cessna 172
Category: Airplane
Serial number: 17273873
Engine: Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage: Substantial damage
Flight: Personal · Part 91
Operator: Plane Texans Inc.
Registered owner: Unknown
Flight plan: Unknown
Airport: ADS · Addison

N6434JRegistration cancelled Oct 31, 1990 · Cessna 172NS/N 17273873 Airframe modelCessna 172N

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: 22
Certificate: Private
Airplane ratings: Single-engine land
Medical: Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Flight hours: 161 total · 27 in this make and model · 108 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions: Visual (VMC) · Night/dark

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19890525013849ACessna 172N · Dallas, TXTaxied at night onto a road by mistake. Wing hit pole, aircraft hit ditch. No taxiway lights or marked restrictionsMay 25, 1989 · N6434J · Substantial damage

Other investigations on N6434J · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW90LA174Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMarietta, OKFailure of the pilot to attain the proper climb rate after takeoff resulting in the aircraft colliding with trees at the departure end of the runway. Contribuing to the accident was the pilot in commands failure to account for high density altitude.Sep 1, 1990 · Substantial damage