Cessna R172E accident near Palo Pinto, Texas, October 26, 2008
On October 26, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna R172E, registered N42FG, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Palo Pinto, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional low-level flight and failure to maintain a visual lookout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Palo Pinto, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172E · all R172Es on the register
- Registration
- N42FG · no longer on the register · serial R172-0177
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, his "intention was just to exercise the engine and aircraft for an hour." He flew a circular route and was returning when the airplane collided with two power lines that stretched across the river between two cliffs. He said, "[t]he terrain [was] hilly but desolate and I decided to get a closer look at the animals that were in the Brazos River bottom. Two power lines ran from the top of one cliff to another and were struck. They were on 40 foot power poles and 112 feet above the riverbed. They had a 900 foot span and no markers."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 571 hours in all; 496 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 525 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 15, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,034 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 2007; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T67 Fort Worth TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: T67 Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N42FG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.