Cessna 172A accident near Clarendon, Texas, January 17, 2011
On January 17, 2011 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 172A, registered N7262T, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Clarendon, Texas (Smiley Johnson Mun/Bass Field). 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 failure to correctly set the altimeter, which resulted in his erroneous perception that the airplane was at a safe altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2011 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Clarendon, Texas · Smiley Johnson Mun/Bass Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172A · all 172As on the register
- Registration
- N7262T · registry record · serial 46862
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, it was dark when he arrived at his destination. He saw the airport's rotating beacon but was unable to remotely activate the runway lights. He maneuvered the airplane onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, extended the flaps and reduced engine power. He thought the airplane was 900 feet above the ground when the airplane impacted terrain approximately 2-1/2 miles east of the airport. At the accident site, the altimeter read 7,500 feet. The terrain was approximately 2,800 feet. There were no mechanical anomalies found with the airplane.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Perception › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 25, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,301 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 20, 2010; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABI Abilene TX
- Destination: E34 Clarendon TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 41°F (5°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.
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.