- Date
- February 18, 1991, 10:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Thornton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5112KCessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910218002529A
- Case key
- 23249
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 decision to fly into known adverse weather and the wet microburst. A factor was his disregard for the forecast.
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
Weather was reported as being severe by local residents with intense thunderstorms, hail and high winds. Within .25 miles of impact trees were blown down in various directions. Heavy foliage was also blown over in inconsistent patterns. Witnesses reported visibility down to a few hundred meters in the thunderstorms. The flood plane in which impact occurred flooded and submerged the wreckage. En route and destination weather was forecast to be VMC, with a large cell of thunderstorms near the proposed route of flight. At 1048 the pilot reported to ATC that he was at 4,000 feet, however, radar showed him at 3,000. Subsequent attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. Last radar contact was descending through 2,000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5112K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273973
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Golden Eagle Aircraft
- Departed
- CLL · College Station, TX
- Destination
- 2F7 · Commerce, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 700 in this make and model · 129 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 35 knots, gusting 50
- 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.