Cessna 172N accident near Roanoke, Texas, May 8, 2009
On May 8, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N172SV, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Roanoke, Texas (Northwest Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to a failure of the throttle control rod-end to carburetor arm hardware. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to fly the airplane without a current annual inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Roanoke, Texas · Northwest Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N172SV · no longer on the register · serial 17273664
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climb, the airplane's single engine experienced a partial loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed an emergency landing to a field. During the landing rollout, the airplane impacted a rock and the nose landing gear collapsed, damaging the firewall. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down position and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. Following the accident, an examination of the airplane revealed that the throttle control rod-end to carburetor throttle arm hardware was missing. In addition, the airplane had not been inspected in accordance with an annual inspection during the previous year.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Failure other cases naming the engine
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 434 hours in all; 295 in this make and model; 5 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 13, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,100 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 52F Roanoke TX at 6:00 pm
- Destination: T67 Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on June 25, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N172SV: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD 83 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Aero Valley Airport · nearest airport
- Hicks Airfield · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,065 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09CA253.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.