Cessna 172RG accident near Lockhart, Texas, February 21, 2010
On February 21, 2010 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N5404V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lockhart, Texas (Lockhart Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to use the emergency checklist, and his failure to extend the landing gear manually. Contributing to the accident was the electrical failure/malfunction for reasons undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2010 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lockhart, Texas · Lockhart Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N5404V · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0522
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that after departure during an instructional flight, the landing gear was slow to retract, the radios made “clicking noises,” “flickered” and began to fail, and the fuel gauges registered near empty. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane. During the landing approach, he attempted to lower the flaps, but there was no response. He instructed the student pilot to lower the landing gear. He said there was no warning horn or annunciator light to indicate that the gear was either up or down. He did not say whether he or the student pilot looked outside to see if the landing gear appeared to be down and locked. The airplane landed with the gear partially extended and veered off the right side of the runway into the grass. The outboard portion of the right wing and the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent. The airplane was later ferried to a repair facility. According to the ferry pilot, he recharged the battery and flew uneventfully to the repair facility. The repair facility reported finding no anomalies with the airplane’s electrical system.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute (cruise)
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Damaged/degraded
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 515 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 409 as pilot in command; 240 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 22, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 262 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 204 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 23, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mach II Aviation Services, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: BAZ New Braunfels TX at 7:30 pm
- Destination: 50R Lockhart TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from BAZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 N5404V 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.