- Date
- October 16, 1993, 13:04 local (18:04 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7825TCessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 27, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931016039549A
- Case key
- 18954
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 follow proper emergency procedures to troubleshoot the electrical system. A factor was an electrical system irregularity of an undetermined nature.
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 was on top of a cloud layer when he started experiencing irregularities with the avionics equipment, accompanied with the smell of burning electrical insulation. Suspecting a fire, he started looking for a break in the cloud layer to make a precautionary landing. Finding a break in the clouds, he descended below the clouds and landed in an open field adjacent to a highway. He then intentionally ground looped the airplane into bushes on the side of the field to avoid going through a fence and onto the highway. The right wing sustained structural damage. Examination of the airplane electrical system failed to disclose any anomalies or evidence of electrical fire. The pilot stated he did not make any effort to troubleshoot or isolate the irregularities.
Factual narrative
On October 16, 1993, at 1304 central daylight time, a Cessna 172K, N7825T, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing near Jacksonville, Texas. Neither the private pilot nor his passenger were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to the pilot, they were in cruise flight on top of a cloud layer at 4,500 feet MSL on a cross country flight from Beaumont, Texas, to the Hudson Airport in Mesquite, Texas. During the flight, he started experiencing irregularities with the avionics equipment, accompanied with the smell of burning electrical insulation.
Suspecting a fire, the pilot elected to find a break in the cloud layer and execute a precautionary landing at the nearest airport or suitable field. The pilot stated that he did not make any attempt to troubleshoot or isolate the irregularities while in flight.
The pilot further stated that a large open field adjacent to a highway was selected and a low approach was made to check the condition of the field. Following the low approach, the pilot executed a no-flap landing to the open field.
During the landing roll, the pilot noticed that he was closing rapidly on the fence at the end of the field. He stated that he intentionally ground looped the airplane into bushes on the side of the field to avoid going through the fence and into the highway. The right wing sustained structural damage.
Examination of the airplane's electrical system by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, failed to disclose any anomalies, evidence of electrical fire, signs of overheating, or any other defect that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7825T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257538
- Airframe hours
- 1,973
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Beaumont Wings Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 5, 1993 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- BMT · Beaumont, TX
- Destination
- HQZ · Mesquite, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 32 in this make and model · 58 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LFK, 51 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.
Other investigations on N7825T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.