- Date
- September 8, 1995, 23:00 local (Sep 9, 1995, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kerrville, TX
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4918GCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950908033139A
- Case key
- 19577
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 inadequate preflight preparation and his failure to use all the available runway. A factor was the dark 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 airplane was being operated as a personal night cross-country flight. The pilot taxied from the ramp located near the helipad to runway 20 via the taxiway that crosses near the midpoint of the runway. Instead of turning right onto runway 20 and back taxiing to the end of the runway, he turned left and attempted to takeoff using approximatly 1,300 feet of the 4,050-foot runway. After realizing he was running out of runway, the pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane came to rest approximately 150 feet beyond the runway in a ditch.
Factual narrative
On September 8, 1995, at 2300 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N4918G, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at Kerrville Municipal/Louis Schreiner Field, Kerrville, Texas. The commercial pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was being operated as a personal night cross country flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in San Antonio, Texas at 2200. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported in a written statement that, after taxiing to runway 20, he did a runup, then "taxied onto the runway and gave full throttle." After realizing he was "running out of runway," he aborted the takeoff. He further reported that, after the incident, "I noticed that I had taxied onto the short runway."
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he taxied from the ramp, which is located near the helipad, to runway 20 via the taxiway that crosses near the midpoint of the runway. He further reported that, instead of turning right onto runway 20 and back taxiing to the end of the runway, he turned left and attempted to takeoff using approximately "1,300 feet" of runway.
Examination of the accident site by the FAA inspector revealed evidence of braking where the airplane crossed runway 12/30. See airport diagram. The airplane came to rest in a ditch approximately 150 feet beyond the runway. The left wing was buckled near the fuel tank and the engine was displaced to the right.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4918G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272465
- Airframe hours
- 4,283
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alpha Tango Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 18, 1995 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- ERV
- Airport
- ERV · Kerrville Municipal, runway 20, 4,050 × 60 ft, concrete
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
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 604 total · 114 in this make and model · 553 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N4918G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.