- Date
- September 20, 1992, 21:40 local (Sep 21, 1992, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Fulshear, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N97489Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920921037639A
- Case key
- 18570
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 attain the proper point of touchdown. Factors were the popped circuit breaker, the inoperative alternator, and the darkness of the night.
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 pilot rented an airplane for a scenic flight in the local area. Prior to departing, he experienced avionics problems and a mechanic found a tripped alternator circuit breaker, which was reset. An uneventful refueling stop was made during daylight hours at a local airport. During the second flight, electrical power was lost when he tried to use a landing light. The pilot used a cigarette lighter to cross check his flight instruments while searching for a suitable place to land. A grass airpark was found and the pilot initiated a visual approach. During the approach to the unlighted strip, the airplane landed short of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97489
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276197
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Woody Leslkar Acft. Service
- Registered owner
- Engineered Constructors Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 26, 1992 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 7XS3 · Grapeland, TX
- Destination
- IWS · West Houston, TX
- Airport
- NONE · Covey Trails, runway 17, 3,300 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 69
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 10,000 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 13 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 34 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.